Contents
Solving My People Puzzle………………………………………………………………………3
Guided Purpose Statement………………………………………………………………………3
DISC Description………………………………………………………………………………..3
DISC Style Alignment…………………………………………………………………………..3
Active/Task-oriented “D”……………………………………………………………….4
Active/People-oriented “I”……………………………………………………………...4
Passive/People-oriented “S”…………………………………………………………….4
Passive/Task-oriented “C”………………………………………………………………5
Care-Seeker Connection………………………………………………………………………...5
Mentor Connection……………………………………………………………………………...6
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………7
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………….8
Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………..9
2
Solving My People Puzzle
This paper will showcase my personality by highlighting specific metrics given in the
coursework over the duration of the class. This assessment will show empirical data designed to
help me see how I am by design. Beneath what I may speak about are hidden areas of structure
that have been built by myself and my circumstances in life that attribute to who I am as a person
and how I deal with situations.
Guiding Purpose Statement
I tend to be more assertive than attentive, which can lead to miscommunication and may
disrupt my positive intentions within relationships. I understand this may be due to how I see
myself and the level of self-awareness I possess. How I treat others is a direct result of how I
view myself as Nichols states that approaches may differ from person to person based on how
each individual views their self-image.1
DISC Description
Upon completion of the DISC Assessment, I have come to a better understanding of my
tendencies and reactions regarding others and how I view the same from other people. Having
the knowledge of the report will enable me to better understand the views and opinions of others
while also helping me better explain mine.
DISC Style Alignment
1 Nichols, K. Masterpiece: Seeing Yourself as God's Work of Art Changes Everything.
Lynchburg, VA. Liberty University Press. 2017.
3
Type D Active/Task-oriented
Responding properly to a type D oriented personality is something I do well, as I am a
type D myself. My leadership style is direct and to the point without holding back which helps
me stand firm with those who respond better to that type of direction. Since my style of
communication is direct, I tend to get along with those who respond best to getting a clear task
set for them to accomplish. Providing critical feedback, both positive and negative, has helped
me during my time in the military as I have found most people with this personality type are
eager to understand what they’ve done correctly, and what they need to improve on.
Type I Active/People-oriented
This personality type receives information better by listening to stories which give them
the ability to imagine a given situation. They tend to focus more on the story than the
information contained within it, so being able to allow them to do so while also being intentional
about keeping their focus centered on the direction is key. Being able to acknowledge their
successful completion of a task by giving praise for accomplishments is critical to keeping their
attention.2
Type S Passive/People-oriented
2 Carbonell, M. How to Solve the People Puzzle: Understanding Personality Patterns.
Blue Ridge, GA. Uniquely You Resources. 2008.
4
Listening to and understanding the type S personality is something they value,
specifically finding common ground regarding their viewpoint. To make certain that I relate to
them in a positive manner, I need to be aware to not be pushy or overly aggressive with the type
S, as this may cause them to shut down due to their sensitive nature. They don’t like to be the
center of attention and do better when they can assimilate into a group, so making sure to place
them with people who are a bit more assertive can help them come out of their shell.
Type C Passive/Task-oriented
The type C personality can be strong willed, however, in my experience, these are the
people who don’t speak up regularly, yet they are task masters who excel in completing
assignments. I can breakthrough to an individual with a type C personality by communicating to
them that I appreciate their dedication to any task they are given.
Care-Seeker Connection
Bruce is the care-seeker I selected as his personality type aligns best with mine and I
believe that can be a positive in my interactions with him. In his anger, Bruce seeks justice,
which is typical of his personality type, so enabling him to be vocal about this while directing
him to focus more on his relationships with his sons is vital to his progress. Avoiding any
potential traps with Bruce is critical to managing our time together. I must be careful not to fix
his situation and allow him to come to the solutions on his own with only guidance from me.3
3 Petersen, J. Why Don't We Listen Better? Communicating and Connecting in
RelationshipsD(second ed.). Portland, OR. Petersen Publications. 2015.
5
As the leader of his family and finding himself in the new role of single parent, Bruce
must be pushed through encouragement to realize that although he may not possess all of the
tools needed, he has the ability to gain and apply them.4
Mentor Connection
My mentor revealed to me that I tend to be too firm, and this causes others to withdraw if
their personality type isn’t as strong as mine. With this feedback, I can overcome this weakness
by utilizing the speaker listener technique and becoming more of an active listener. Listening
more intently and repeating back to the speaker what was said can help me keep positive lines of
communication open. It is crucial that I don’t think of what I want to say while others are
speaking, and instead, focus on the content of their words.5 My mentor’s personality type is S, as
they are extremely humble and very good at listening due to their pastoral counseling
background. I’ve been seeing my mentor for a few months and feel as though I have grown more
as a person and in my respect for their field of study. I hold their personal and professional
opinion in high regard and look to understand more effectively their assessment of me.
Conclusion
4 Kollar, C. A. Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling: An Effective Short-term Approach for
Getting People Back on Track. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2011.
5 Jantz, E. L. Mentor’s 360° Interview Worksheet. 2018.
6
In conclusion, this assignment has opened my eyes to an almost unlimited number of
personality types in different situations. Most people are complex enough that they will probably
display more than one personality type at any given moment, and I need to be aware of how to
respond to each situation appropriately. Through this assignment I have gained a better
understanding of who I am as an individual and how to communicate better moving forward with
others. My hope is that God will use this to continue to refine me into the person He needs me to
be to accomplish His calling on my life.
Bibliography
Carbonell, M. How to Solve the People Puzzle: Understanding Personality Patterns.
Blue Ridge, GA. Uniquely You Resources. 2008.
Jantz, E. L. Mentor’s 360° Interview Worksheet. 2018.
7
Kollar, C. A. Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling: An Effective Short-term Approach for
Getting People Back on Track. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2011.
Nichols, K. Masterpiece: Seeing Yourself as God's Work of Art Changes Everything. Lynchburg,
VA. Liberty University Press. 2017.
Petersen, J. Why Don't We Listen Better? Communicating and Connecting in
RelationshipsD(second ed.). Portland, OR. Petersen Publications. 2015.
Appendix
This Is Expected of Me
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