Key Takeaways
- D in DISC stands for Dominance, a factor that measures how someone handles problems and challenges.
- Direct communicators (high D scores) tend to be decisive, ambitious, independent, and goal-oriented.
- Reflective communicators (low D scores) tend to be cooperative, thoughtful, precise, and team-oriented.
- Direct communicators can improve their effectiveness by focusing on listening and using a “sell, don’t tell” approach.
- Reflective communicators can improve communication by adapting to others and adjusting their communication style when needed.
- Understanding DISC behavior styles can help individuals communicate more effectively with people who have different preferences.
Diving deeper into DISC is a smart strategy for anyone who wants to improve their communication skills and understanding of others in the workplace. One of the key factors to understand is Dominance.
So, what does D mean in DISC? Let’s look at the D of DISC, Dominance, and the pros and cons of high D scores (Direct communicators) and low D scores (Reflective communicators).
What Does Dominance Mean in DISC?
D in DISC stands for Dominance. This factor measures how someone handles problems and challenges.
In TTI’s DISC model, Dominance helps explain differences in how people approach challenges, make decisions, communicate, and move toward results. People with higher and lower D scores may have very different communication preferences, but neither style is inherently better than the other.
Understanding these differences can help people adapt their communication and work more effectively together.
What Does a High Dominance Score Mean in DISC?
People with a high D score are Direct communicators.
Direct communicators are ambitious, forceful, decisive, strong-willed, independent, and goal-oriented. They tend to seek out leadership positions and enjoy clear, brief conversations and facts and details over enthusiasm. In general, they prefer to get to the point as quickly and concisely as possible.
What Are the Pros of a High Dominance Score?
Direct communicators are go-getters. If you want a visionary who can make decisions and get stuff done, they are your best bet.
They are skilled at engaging others through questioning and can get to the heart of an issue efficiently by harnessing the power of their creative and active minds. They are driven by solutions and results, which can result in a highly productive environment if directed effectively.
High Dominance communicators can bring several strengths to the workplace, including:
- Making decisions quickly
- Focusing on solutions and results
- Taking initiative
- Pursuing ambitious goals
- Asking direct questions
- Moving projects forward
- Taking on leadership responsibilities
What Are the Cons of a High Dominance Score?
All of these traits combined make Direct people excellent leaders and high-achievers, but they can overwhelm others with more relaxed styles.
Direct communicators have a tendency to bulldoze conversations. They might not be adept at reading the verbal cues of others and have a tendency to embrace a ‘my way or the highway’ approach when it comes to making decisions. Since they want to move forward quickly and get results as rapidly as possible, they can ignore the need to slow down and pay attention to details.
How Can High Dominance Communicators Improve Communication?
Solution: Sell, Don’t Tell
Direct communicators can improve communication and compensate for their quick impulses by digging into the listening process. Taking a ‘sell, don’t tell’ approach just means that you work on convincing others of your point of view instead of dictating it to them as a fact.
As a Direct communicator, we know that you enjoy concise, convincing communication— you want others to prove that they know what they’re talking about when they suggest action or solutions. Focus on doing just that when communicating with others!
Rather than assuming others will immediately respond to a direct approach, Direct communicators can strengthen relationships by asking questions, listening to responses, and giving others an opportunity to contribute.
What Does a Low Dominance Score Mean in DISC?
People with a low D score are Reflective communicators.
Reflective communicators are cooperative, low-key, modest, and mild. They tend to engage people by being agreeable and outcome-focused, and prefer clear, precise and thorough communication.
While their approach is different from that of a Direct communicator, Reflective communicators bring valuable strengths to teams and organizations.
What Are the Pros of a Low Dominance Score?
People with a low D score thrive on a team and are wonderful teammates. Their low-key approach, friendliness, and dedication to making things work ensure their teammates have the support they need to complete projects.
Reflective communicators are also great listeners and can help others to fully think through a process before diving in.
Reflective communicators may be especially effective at:
- Listening to others
- Supporting teammates
- Considering different perspectives
- Thinking through processes
- Reducing conflict
- Creating a cooperative environment
- Providing thoughtful and thorough input
What Are the Cons of a Low Dominance Score?
While Reflective people are great teammates, their passive and cautious demeanors can disengage others who prefer more direct communication. They also might hide their true feelings with friendly terms and indirect criticism. That can lead to confusion and misunderstanding on the team.
Reflective communicators can also hesitate when starting projects—their ability to weigh pros and cons and consider different points of view is great for planning but not always entirely helpful for execution.
How Can Low Dominance Communicators Improve Communication?
Solution: Adapt to Others
Since Reflective communicators want the least amount of conflict possible, they can greatly benefit from adapting their preferred styles to those of the people they’re communicating with. While this can feel uncomfortable, especially if they’re working with a more aggressive communicator, by matching their energy, they will keep the other people engaged.
This adaption plays into the strengths of Reflective communicators; they can harness the power of their listening skills and preference to reduce conflict and encourage productivity.
Adapting does not mean abandoning a natural communication style. Instead, it means recognizing what another person needs to communicate effectively and adjusting your approach when appropriate.
High D vs. Low D: What’s the Difference?
The biggest difference between Direct and Reflective communication styles is how people tend to approach problems, challenges, decisions, and conversations.
| Direct / High D | Reflective / Low D |
| Direct and decisive | Cooperative and thoughtful |
| Goal-oriented | Outcome-focused |
| Comfortable taking charge | Comfortable supporting others |
| Prefers brief communication | Prefers clear, precise, thorough communication |
| Moves quickly toward action | Takes time to consider options |
| Focuses on solutions and results | Focuses on collaboration and reducing conflict |
These differences can become strengths when people understand and adapt to one another. A Direct communicator may help a team move quickly toward a decision, while a Reflective communicator may help the team consider different perspectives before acting.
How Does DISC Help Improve Communication?
No matter where your Dominance score falls, you can benefit from learning more about your own communication style and the behavior of those around you.
DISC provides a framework for understanding observable workplace behavior and communication preferences. When individuals understand their own style and recognize that others may approach communication differently, they can make more intentional choices about how they interact.
If you want to unlock your potential with DISC or other behavioral assessment tools, TTI can help! Contact us here to get started.
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