DiSC Assessment
During my tenure with NBCUniversal, I was employed at Universal Studios Hollywood (USH) as a Senior Engineer in the Technical Services Department. It fell to me to provide front line Mechanical Engineering support for all rides and attractions within the park. It was a very cool job and my immediate boss was one of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of working for.
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However, while I was an employee one of the perks was an assessment of work behavioirs and styles, with a focus on communication with co-workers. It was called a DiSC assessment and in 2014, it was considered a useful assessment. I have no idea how much has changed in over 10 years, so this should be taken as a historical assessment even thouogh I doubt that much of the results about me have changed...
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The assessment was administered by Target Training International, and more about them and their DiSC assessment can be found at the link at the bottom of the page.​
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​​Please note: all of the information contained herein is from the paperwork that was provided to me as a participant. I am an engineer, not a psychologist. If you ask me to explain any of this any deeper, I’ll go into vapor lock. Honest.
"Effort counts, but results matter" - A lot of leaders down through history, including me
DiSC: Behavioral Styles at Work
What is a DiSC assessment? The DiSC assessment brings focus on the four major traits that (it is claimed) we all display, to greater or lesser degrees, in a work setting. The acronym stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance:
• Dominance – Focused on results
• influence – Focused on the experience
• Steadiness – Focused on listening to understand
• Compliance – Focused on gathering data and information
Before you ask why “influence” isn’t capitalized, I don’t know. Most places in the report it isn’t. And the acronym is almost always with a small “i”.

When you look at the results (Graph II), you will see that my natural style is very results oriented. There is an adapted style shown, but it is largely specific to the work environment I was in at NBCUniversal so it’s not necessarily germane. However, it is very similar with slightly lower “Dominance” (results) and higher “Compliance” (data gathering). I attribute this to my viewpoint that work decisions should be data driven whenever possible.
The section below is a set of general characteristics that are directly quoted from the results of my test, and in general I agree with them. These statements reflect how I get things done when left to my own devices. Of course, every work situation is different and required adaptation so the passages below describe my natural, un-adapted behavior. Note that I have left out the constructive criticism parts as they are for my personal growth and don’t really belong here.

Assessment of my behavioral tendencies show a high dominance characteristic. This is an indication of being results focused
What the report had to say in summary:
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“Mitch may be so self-confident that others see him as arrogant. This confidence may be something others wish they had. He likes to be forceful and direct when dealing with others. His desire for results is readily apparent to the people with whom he works. He wants to be viewed as self-reliant and willing to pay the price for success. He is goal-oriented and driven by results. He is the team member who will try who will try to keep the others on task. Many people see him as a self-starter dedicated to achieving results. He is a goal-oriented individual who believes in harnessing people to help him achieve his goals. He needs people with other strengths on his team. He seeks his own solutions to problems. In this way, his independent nature comes into play. He displays a high energy factor and is optimistic about the results he can achieve. The word “can’t” is not in his vocabulary. Most people see him as a high risk-taker. His view is, “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. He wants to be seen as a winner and has an inherent dislike for losing or failing. He tends to work hard and long to be successful.”
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“Mitch finds it easy to share his opinions on solving work-related problems. Sometime he becomes emotionally involved in the decision-making process. He has the unique ability of tackling tough problems and following them through to a satisfactory conclusion. He will work long hours until a tough problem is solved. After it is solved, Mitch may become bored with any routine work that follows. Many people see his decisions as high-risk decisions. However, after the decision is made, he tends to work hard for a successful outcome. He prefers authority equal to his responsibility. He is a good problem solver and troubleshooter, always seeking new ways to solve old problems He likes to make decisions quickly.”
And, the “Value to the Organization” as the report states:
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• Forward-looking and future-oriented
• Tenacious
• Ability to change gears fast and often
• Creative in his approach to solving problems
• Good mixer
• Initiates activity
• Challenges the status quo
