The Long Road to Understanding
by Dean Lindsay

An issue many organizations face is respecting individual behavioral differences and the judgments made based on those differences. Without an understanding of human behavior, these behavioral differences have the potential to lead to problems in the workplace. The search to understand the reasons for our diverse behavior is an age old pursuit. The ancients explanations were interesting. Empodocles (444 BC), the founder of the school of medicine in Sicily, believed that everything was made of earth, air, fire, and water. These external elements were combined in an infinite number of ways thus explaining the diversity of behavior.

In 400 BC, the Greek philosopher, Hippocrates, came to the conclusion that it was not external factors. He disagreed with many in his day who believed human behavior was connected with being born under a certain astrological sign. Hippocrates theorized that it was something that takes place "inside" the individual.

Check this out, Hippocrates believed, if a person had a fast hot fluid running inside their body than they would be direct, decisive and a leadership-type person. If a person had a fluid that was warm and slow, that person would be family oriented and relational. Hippocrates named the different personality styles phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine and melancholy. Even though Hippocrates' theory had no scientific or medical validity, it was the first substantial method for identifying and grouping types of human behavior.

Hippocrates' method was expanded upon in the early 1920s by Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychologist and one of the most influential modern behavioral theorist. In 1921 Jung published "Psychological Types" which described four psychological functions: thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition. Jung also classified the four types further by calling them either "introverted" or "extroverted."

Today, the DISC behavioral model is commonly used as the universal language of observing human behavior. DISC measures observable behavior and emotions, the "how we act" versus the "why" or "what" behind our actions. The development of the DISC model is due to the work of the American psychologist, Dr. William Marston, an expert in behavioral understanding.

In 1926 Marston published "The Emotions of Normal People" in which he grouped people along two axis: either active or passive tendencies relative to their favorable or unfavorable view of the environment. An interesting side note is that much later in his life Dr. Marston created "Wonder Woman" while serving as an educational consultant for DC Comics. To write the "Wonder Woman" comic, Marston used a pen name: Charles Moulton.

Marston's DISC research showed how behavioral characteristics can be grouped into four fundamental styles. People with similar styles tend to exhibit specific types of behavior common to that style. Such types of behavior influence how people prefer to communicate, manage others and otherwise interact. The four styles are: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C).

Understanding these four different behavioral styles makes us better able to act with respect toward other persons, even those who we see as "different" or hard to understand. Today this language is learned and applied in business interactions to improve effectiveness, build productive teams and resolve conflict caused by diverse behavioral preferences.

With an understanding of DISC comes an increased ability to create a causal environment where people want to move forward and perform at their best. Groups begin to explore their differences more openly from a behavioral approach rather than from the usual diversity perspectives of age, gender, lifestyle or race. This translates into greater understanding, respect, satisfaction and leading-edge productivity on the job.

Internationally recognized business development strategist, author, and speaker Dean Lindsay is the founder of The Progress Agents LLC – an idea studio dedicated to empowering progress in sales, service, and workplace performance. 

His latest book Cracking the Networking CODE - 4 Steps to Priceless Business Relationships is published by World Gumbo Publishing.