DISC and Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Adam Stamm
Managing Partner: Online DISC Profile
Can DISC help teach emotional intelligence?
Behavior and emotions are often discussed in separate conversations. However, the relationship between these two aspects of who we are is actually much closer than we give credit.
The DISC Basic profile and training don’t specifically aim to teach emotional intelligence. However, emotional intelligence insights are available. Anyone who is interested in developing a greater sense of self-awareness through DISC can discuss aspects of emotional intelligence using the concepts of “Stretching your DISC style.”
Before we explore this topic further, let’s discuss the differences between DISC and Emotional Intelligence assessments and how they both approach helping individuals improve their emotional intelligence.
What is DISC?
DISC is a theory that identifies a person based on their behavioral style. DISC was developed in the 1920’s by William Moulton Marston.
It measures an individual on two dimensions of behavior:
- Fast-paced vs moderate-paced
- Are you assertive, or are you more cautious and steady?
- Skeptical vs accepting
- Do you question what you are told, or are you receptive to what you are told?
Fast Pace vs Moderate
Skeptical vs Accepting
Marston believed that you can classify a person based on four distinct “emotional responses” to these two dimensions.
However, it’s important to note that Marston never created his own assessment. A researcher from the University of Minnesota named John Geirer used Marston’s theory as a way for a person to identify their personal behavioral style.
This new model separated an individual’s emotions from their behavior to allow for a more open dialogue about our individual differences. This allowed DISC to be easily brought into corporate training settings.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize emotions (either your personal emotions or another person’s emotions), and to choose how to respond. Emotional intelligence is written as either EI, EQ, or EIQ (we will refer to it as EIQ moving forward).
Daniel Goleman’s bestselling book Emotional Intelligence brought EIQ into the national conversation. He wrote about the leading behavioral and neuroscience research of the 1980s and 1990s and showed that there is a reason why certain people are able to overcome adversity more easily than others.
The reason is EIQ.
Consequently, those with higher IQs didn’t have to spend as much time studying or learning how to master a particular lesson to get a high grade. They could pick up the teachings with little effort. For this reason, they didn’t learn how to overcome setbacks, control their emotions, and push forward.
Those of us who weren’t gifted with a high IQ had to learn how to study, develop learning processes, and overcome challenges. Emotional intelligence seeks to measure how we respond to our environment.
Goleman found that success wasn’t dependent on a person’s natural gifts. In fact, a person who is able to overcome setbacks must learn how to do this. Their EIQ is learned. This insight prompted Goleman to push for EIQ to be tough in schools, and it is now rapidly being taught in corporate and organizational training.
DISC, EIQ, and the idea of "Stretch"
DISC is incredibly popular because it allows individuals to communicate about themselves without feeling judged. Emotions are often left out of the conversation when discussing a person’s DISC style because DISC focuses on our behaviors.
For example, if a person who responds on a DISC Basic assessment indicates that they are both fast-paced and Very Skeptical, they would fall in the D-Personality Type.
They are:
- Direct
- Quick to take Action
- Face Challenges head-on
This is how they normally describe their behavior.
Now, how would this person behave if they found out that a close friend or relative lost their job.
Potentially, they might continue to exhibit their D-style behaviors. They could view the situation as another challenge for them to overcome on behalf of their friend.
They may take action and determine their friend’s immediate next steps to get back to work. They may even start a search to find potential jobs, or they might take their friend’s resume and see if there are open positions at their own place of work.
On the other hand, they might stretch from their normal action-oriented behaviors and provide supportive behaviors which are more aligned with the I Personality Type and the S Personality Type.
This idea of “stretch” is unique to the DISC model but leans heavily on Emotional Intelligence training.
How Choosing Behaviors Improves our Emotional Intelligence
When the individual in our example stretches to choose a behavior on the other side of the DISC map, they might take time to really listen to their friend or relative. They might be more accommodating or comfort the person by taking them out to eat, sending them a card, or any small gesture to let the person know that they are there for them.
The idea of stretch (in regards to behavior) aligns well with EIQ training.
EIQ assessments measure how well we manage our emotions in four areas:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Social-Awareness
- Social-Management
With Emotional Intelligence assessments like the EIQ assessment, a person is able to see how they score against these specific areas.
Pairing EQ assessments with DISC enhances the stretch idea that we just discussed.
For example, a person could find that they have reasonably high emotional awareness when recognizing their feelings and how they make others feel.
EIQ-2 Sample Scores
However, recognition is only half of the equation. Their EIQ scores can also identify how easy or hard it is to manage their emotional responses.
Thinking back to our D-Personality Type example from above, this individual might recognize that their behavior can be overbearing, but they might not be able to manage it (yet!). This is where working with a DISC Certified coach can help as well, but it’s entirely possible for anyone to use these tools and work on their EIQ on their own.
How to Get started with DISC + EIQ
We are pleased to offer a combined DISC and EIQ report that provides a EIQ Snapshot along with a person’s DISC Behavioral profile. You can use these insights to both improve self-awareness through DISC and emotional regulation with EIQ.
