Everything DiSC Management Profile
Managing people is difficult at the best of times. However, in the context of employee development, it was particularly challenging. In order to develop mentoring skills, managers need to be trained to exhibit empathetic and human-centered leadership styles. In this article, we will discuss how DiSC Management profiles can support mentoring as a process.
In the beginning, mentoring is filled with tension – two individuals unfamiliar with each other, unsure of what the other experts, and waiting to be judged. From this point on, the mentorship journey must build trust and rapport in order to meet challenges and elevate the mentee from total dependence to complete freedom. Time is of the essence.
In this case, winning the trust and building rapport can be assured by using mutual understanding as a tool. We will examine in this blog how the Everything DISC Management Profile can be used to build the rapport and trust that are essential components of a great mentoring relationship.
Essentially, this takes place in three phases:
Building bridges across hierarchies
Protégés arrive at the mentoring session with a great deal of apprehension as they are aware that they are with a superior. Mentors and protégés can overcome this barrier only if they share the same platform. It is crucial that this point is clearly communicated in the very first meeting via gestures, body language, and messages. Understanding the protégé’s five behavioral priorities and preferences before the mentoring session is critical to determining the right strategy for making the protégé feel comfortable.
The Everything DiSC Management Profile can assist the mentor in studying the protégé’s behavior. A detailed analysis of the factors that motivate and stress a person at work is provided in the report. Incorporating these aspects into the plan for the first meeting will help create an atmosphere of comfort and understanding.
Understand the difference between questioning and probing
Mentors must be able to distinguish clearly between curiosity and inquisitiveness. Their questions may turn the protégé off if they are too probing or sound like criticism. It is important to know how to ask the right questions in order to win the trust of the protege. It is necessary to understand the protege’s preferred style of communication, their preferred modes of delegation, the factors that motivate them, as well as their perceptions of the environment in which they work.
Everything DiSC provides a detailed narrative on all of the above. The report also provides specific strategies on how to improve the individual’s abilities and how they can better adapt to individuals with other behavioral priorities. By handing over the report in detail, the mentor can prepare a checklist for the set of questions that need to be asked, and feedback that needs to be given at every stage that is in line with what the protégé prefers so that the protégé becomes more open and more responsive to mentoring input.
Listening with empathy
Mentors who are excellent are non-judgmental and highly empathic. A mentor who must ask the right question must also be a good listener. Empathic listening conveys a message of unconditional positive regard to the protégé and helps to create an improved rapport and more trust between the mentor and the protege. A Personal Listening Profile is a useful tool for the mentor since it offers guidance regarding the mentor’s natural approach to listening and provides tips on how the mentor may become a better listener.
Developing a strong mentoring relationship is not as difficult as it seems. The right behavioral tools can make the process much easier.
Contact us if you are interested in a DiSC assessment program that is tailored to the needs of your organization or team.
