Coaching Your Team with DISC: A Human Approach for Better Results
If you’re leading a team and want to boost communication, trust, and performance, DISC training is a practical tool you can use right away. Whether you’re working out of Rome or making the short drive from Utica, Syracuse, Cortland, Auburn, or Oneida, you’ll find that DISC gives you an easy way to understand your people and motivate them as individuals. Here’s how you can coach your team the human way-using DISC.
What DISC Brings to Coaching
DISC isn’t just a personality assessment-it’s a model that helps you see what makes your team members tick. By recognizing four main behavioral styles, you can fine-tune your coaching to fit each person. This means fewer misunderstandings, more buy-in, and results you can measure.
- Direct (D): Prefers action, results, and clear tasks.
- Influential (I): Values collaboration, enthusiasm, and connection.
- Steady (S): Seeks stability, support, and clear expectations.
- Conscientious (C): Focuses on accuracy, details, and quality work.
Takeaway: When you know each style, you can shape your feedback and support to fit each person’s natural strengths and needs.
Using DISC for Real Conversations
Coaching isn’t just about telling people what to do. It’s about having real conversations that help your team grow. If you’re used to the no-nonsense style of Upstate New York, DISC helps you cut through confusion and get to what matters.
- Ask open-ended questions based on their DISC style.
- Give feedback in a way that suits the person-some want it direct, others prefer it softer.
- Set goals together, matching the process to their strengths.
Tip: Next time you’re prepping for a one-on-one, think about your team member’s DISC profile. Adjust your approach-whether you’re meeting at a coffee shop in Syracuse or over the phone from Oneida.
Practical DISC Activities for Teams
DISC training isn’t just theory. You can use it to run team activities that get people talking, listening, and working together better. Here’s what works well:
- Role Play: Practice tough conversations-like giving feedback or handling tough customers-using different DISC styles.
- Self-Awareness Exercises: Have each person share what motivates them and what stresses them out, based on their DISC profile.
- Real-Life Scenarios: Break into groups to solve a common workplace challenge, using what you know about each style.
Suggested next step: Try a simple “strengths and stressors” roundtable at your next staff meeting. Have each person share one thing that helps them do their best work and one thing that gets in their way.
Coaching with DISC for Better Teamwork
If you commute from Auburn or Cortland, you know teamwork isn’t just a buzzword-it’s how things get done. DISC gives you a practical way to coach your team so everyone feels heard and valued.
- Help team members spot each other’s strengths during projects.
- Use DISC language to talk about conflict in a way that’s respectful, not personal.
- Encourage everyone to share their communication preferences.
Takeaway: When you coach with DISC in mind, your team will have fewer clashes and more real progress.
Making DISC Coaching Part of Your Routine
Whether you’re heading into Rome for a big meeting or catching up with a remote team in Utica, you can bring DISC into your daily routine:
- Use DISC language in your emails and feedback.
- Set aside time for DISC check-ins-ask how people are feeling and what they need, based on their style.
- Celebrate wins by linking them to team members’ DISC strengths.
Tip: Keep a cheat sheet of DISC styles handy. Refer to it before meetings or calls, especially if you’re meeting with folks from different backgrounds-from the fast-paced energy of Syracuse to the steady teamwork you see in Cortland.
Ready to Coach the Human Way?
DISC training gives you the tools to coach your team with empathy and clarity. By putting DISC into action, you create an environment where every person feels seen and supported. Whether you’re based in Rome or traveling in from nearby spots like Utica, Syracuse, Auburn, Oneida, or Cortland, you have everything you need to get started.
- Review your team’s DISC profiles and start using the language in your daily conversations.
- Try out a DISC team activity this month.
- Notice how your team responds-and adjust your coaching as you learn what works best.
With DISC, you can coach your team the human way-building stronger relationships and better results, one conversation at a time.