DISCovering You

Today we have something special for you. If you're new to this podcast, this is the perfect episode to start with as it highlights from the past year. If you hear something that captures your attention, you can go to that full episode and check it out. And for our regular loyal listeners, you'll recognize snippets from our most liked episodes with some memorable, fun, and even silly moments.

We've listened to you. so the most popular episodes are featured. But first, let's do this month's "DISC according to" Any ideas of what it may be? The new year is only days away, so I give you DISC as New Year's resolutions.

High D - Their resolution is going to be conquering a goal. For instance, running a marathon or beating their past race time.

High I - We know our I's enjoy socializing and a party. Coming off the holiday season, they're likely to resolve something like less drinking or less sugar. Let's face it, I's, you don't need either of those since you're naturally sweet and bubbly on your own.

High S - You may be thinking that you want to volunteer more, but I'm hoping you'll also be resolving to take some time for yourselves to recharge your batteries since you spend a lot of it helping others.

High C - Your resolutions will likely be about learning and improving skills, be that taking courses or a long reading list to augment your knowledge.

Happy Holidays!

If you are interested in connecting with Victoria for team building, strategic onboarding, coaching, or speaking engagement. You can contact her at [email protected]. Visit https://discoverwhatworks.org/opportunities/ for details.

On the last episode, I deconstructed the D (Dominance) in DISC. Today, I’m going to illuminate the I (Influence). A lot of us are familiar with the term “influencer” these days, specifically on social media, but what does it mean to be High in Influence in your DISC profile? Or if you’re not High in I, does that mean you can’t be influential?

We’re going to explore that!

Before we do though, it’s time for our monthly DISC analogy. As the holidays are around the corner, TIS the season for DISC according to…Christmas!

For High D it’s… The Grinch! I would say don’t be offended High D’s, but the truth is, you rarely are LOL! Let me explain why though, and it’s probably NOT what you’re thinking.  Sure, the Grinch is very direct and assertive but as the story goes on, we learn that there is a lot of feeling underneath that gruff exterior and it turns out, his bark is worse than his bite! The same can be said for High D’s 😊

The symbol I’ve chosen for High I’s is the star that sits atop the Christmas tree! It’s shiny, attention-getting, and represents joy and celebration!

High S is…Santa Claus! Santa’s a great listener (think of all the wish lists he hears when children visit him) and his role in life is one of service to others.

For High C, the Christmas Connection is Advent Calendars! They are structured and scheduled with treats metered out for each day.

Today I’m going to deconstruct the Dominance Factor in DISC. What does it mean to have a High D in your DISC profile? What are your motivators or triggers? What if you’re not a High D but work or live with someone who is, is there an ideal way to understand, and communicate with them?

I’m going to delve into all of that!

But first, here is this month’s DISC illustration. I hope we have some Schitt’s Creek fans listening! If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it! I binge-watched it at the beginning of the pandemic and it was one of the few things that consistently put a smile on my face and made me laugh out loud.

The reason I chose this to be the DISC comparison, is that while I was working on this episode, Heather and I had a meeting right around the corner from where the show was filmed. For the fans, yes, it was the Rosebud motel! We paid it a visit and snapped some photos. You can see me standing right outside of David and Alexis’s room on my social media, so have a look!

Without further ado, here is DISC according to the Rose Family on Schitt’s Creek:

The High D in this family of four is…Moira! She knows what she wants and she goes for it. She is determined to succeed despite the challenging circumstances she finds herself in. And while she has quite an extensive and creative vocabulary, she can be quite direct (aka harsh and blunt) while making a point.

High I, hands down is Alexis! And speaking of hands, she epitomizes the quintessential hand talking High I. Alexis is very animated, loves people, is spontaneous and stylish.

High S, is the Patriarch of the family – Johnny. He manages to remain calm (at least outwardly) amidst the torrent of emotions that frequently erupt all around him. He plods along, putting one foot in front of the other and never gives up the struggle to get his family back on their feet.

Last, but certainly not least (and my personal favourite) David is the High C. He is cautious, has very high standards, is quite particular about how things should be done, and is very organized – I’m picturing his side of the room compared to Alexis’.

Today’s episode is about, Agreeableness; its connection to personality, and what it can predict for our job choice, and success.

If I were to ask you how agreeable you are, would you be able to answer readily? Let’s have a look at what it means.

How Agreeableness Affects Your Behaviour

People who are high in agreeability tend to get along with others, are helpful and considerate, display sensitivity, and have higher levels of social and emotional intelligence. They are able to de-escalate conflict, give others the benefit of the doubt, are collaborative and emotionally supportive.

They are empathetic, work well on a team and are successful at mentoring others.

Sounds great, right? But, does that mean it's bad news for those who are low, therefore, closer to disagreeable?

No! There are advantages to being low! For instance, those who score low in agreeableness thrive in higher-pressure environments where the pace is quick and where conflict may be present. They also tend to have higher incomes. Isn’t that interesting? I guess when you think about something quintessentially frantic and stressful stockbrokers on the floor of the exchange come to mind, so that part checks out!

Listeners, are you curious to discover where you are on the agreeableness scale? You can go to: https://www.truity.com/test/how-agreeable-are-you

Today’s episode is on Mindset but before I get to that, you know what’s coming… it’s time for this month’s DISC comparison.

The Emmy awards are next week, so today it’s going to be DISC according to characters on nominated tv shows!

I don’t watch all the shows, so I’m going to stick to the ones I know well; Ozark, and the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The fictional character that represents High D is …

Wendy Byrd on Ozark. Wendy may not have started out as a High D when the show began, but she certainly became one by the last couple of seasons!

Wendy cuts right to the chase, embraces risk, and isn’t afraid to take action!

For High I, the character is Miriam Maisel (Midge) on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

She’s charming, outgoing, spontaneous and LOVES to talk and share stories. If you don’t watch, these attributes are what drew her to become a stand up comedian 😊

High S – we’re back to Ozark – it’s Marty Byrd. Is anyone ever having a more stressful day with higher stakes than Marty?! LOL! I think not, but you wouldn’t know it. His demeanour is very calm and stoic. No matter what gets thrown at him, he handles it steadfastly and forges ahead.

And the character that represents High C (back to Mrs. Maisel) is Abe Weissman. He is very intellectual (he’s a professor) with a strong sense of what’s right and wrong. He applies logic to his decision making and has very high standards for himself and others. His character juxtaposed to his daughter, the High I is hilarious!

Back to today’s topic – Mindset.

There’s a lot of research on this topic and one of the leading experts is Carol Dweck, who wrote the bestselling book Mindset, The New Psychology of Success.  She holds a PhD and as well as being a researcher, and speaker, she’s a professor of Psychology at Stanford University.

I think it’s a good time to be exploring this concept as for many, today is the first day back to school so it’s a new start or fresh beginning and a great time to focus on the power of our mindsets. Professor Dweck is a valuable resource for students (and parents) and has also created helpful tools for teachers.

Today I’m going to be discussing Grit and how it manifests in our behaviours, our goals and our achievements. 

Before I get to that though, Here’s this month’s DISC correlation. In keeping with the summer theme, I’m doing DISC according to the type of Vacation.

High D – Is in the category of Adventure/Thrill Seeking. This could be a mountain climb, white water rafting, or heli-skiing. High Risk, High Reward!

High I – An all-inclusive tropical vacation with lots of opportunities to socialize and party with like-minded I’s!

High S – A retreat or a spa to relax, reflect and rejuvenate.

High C – A guided tour of historical sites, museums or galleries. Informative, educational, organized.

Okay, back to today’s topic, Grit. How is it defined?

Merriam/Webster dictionary defines it as, “firmness of mind or spirit”.

Angela Duckworth has a lot more to add to that definition. Angela has studied grit in-depth and she’s the author of, “Grit, The Power of Passion and Perseverance”.  Angela has a PhD in Psychology, is a MacArthur Fellow and is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

MacArthur is a prize awarded each year to about 20 or 30 individuals who have shown “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction”.

The MacArthur is often referred to as the Genius Grant, which is pretty ironic in Angela’s case. The irony is that she opens her book by sharing a story of her Father who often told her, “you know, you’re no genius!” (I think the MacArthur people disagree…LOL)

Angela’s work on Grit focuses not on natural ability, (which is what genius is often attributed to) but on the role that hard work, dedication and tenacity play in success.

To find out what your GRIT score is you can take the test here: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/

In today's episode, we are joined by Kathleen Black.

Kathleen Black is a Globally Recognized Mindset & Performance Expert, Bestselling Author, Speaker.

Guiding iconic brands and high net worth professionals to add billions of additional sales volume annually through her unique approach of empowered leadership and expert mindset training.

Kathleen was awarded with Iconic Leaders Creating a Better World for All. She is a two-time bestselling author of, Top 1% Life, the shift from Chaos to Calm in Your Business & Life. As well as, Relentless to Rise, Your Path to Personal Expansion, Kathleen's life story inspired the full-length Documentary "The Relentless One" directed by Emmy Winning Director M Douglas Silverstein. She lives in Oshawa, Canada with her two independent, free-spirited children Ethan & Ella.

Welcome to part two of the discussion on EQ! If you missed part one, you may want to give it a listen. Last time I focused on explaining facets of EQ like self-awareness and empathy, and the difference between high EQ and high IQ. Today, I want to focus on the role that emotions play in creating our mood and what impact our mood can have on how we perceive and are perceived by others and how that can affect the way decisions are made.

Most of the information that I'll be discussing today comes from Professor Marc Brackett. The author of Permission to Feel. Marc is also the founder and director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. He's the lead developer of the ruler concept that is now being used by thousands of elementary schools worldwide some businesses have also incorporated it. And when you hear more about it, I think you'll see why.

Here is a link to the website discussed in this episode where you can find the Mood Meter App

Mood Meter App

www.discoverwhatworks.org

Hi everyone, today I’m going to be discussing Emotional Intelligence, aka, EQ.

Before I dive into it though, it’s time for the DISC analogy that I do at the beginning of each episode! Last time it was National Book Day, so I compared DISC to different literary genres. This month it’s International Tea day on the weekend, so I’m going to break down the DISC factors according to the type of Tea!

So…if High D was a tea, what would it be? CHAI! Spicy

High I would be a Matcha Latte – very on-trend

High S would be Chamomille – Calm, soothing

High C would be English Breakfast because that’s proper!

Okay, back to today’s topic, EQ. It’s buzzed-about a lot, but what does it really mean? And how important is it in our day to day lives?

As it turns out, it’s VERY important not only in our personal lives but in our professional lives too!

Thanks for joining me on today's episode, I'll be talking about introversion and the perceptions or misperceptions that go along with it.

Before I get to that, here's this month's example of the DISC in DISCovering you. If you listen to the last episode, which aired just before the academy awards, you'll recall that I looked at DISC through the lens of Oscar categories this time, National Book Day is on the weekend so I thought it would have some fun with the book theme.

Here we go, DISC according to literary genre. High D, I think it would be business books, something about achieving results. I'm imagining a title like "How to Crush the Competition". High I, I think romance or slice of life definitely something incorporating love, fun and adventure. For high S, I'm thinking well-being, envisioning Brene Brown's books or things like meditating or mindfulness. For high C, thriller or mystery, something where the reader is accumulating clues and using strategy to solve it.

Back to today's topic, you may remember during the Enneagram episode I used the word introverted as one of the descriptors for type five, the investigator. I said I wanted to put a pin in that word to discuss it in more detail, but I did take a moment to clarify that introversion should not have a negative connotation. I did that because sadly it's often perceived as less than ideal. Listeners, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Did you grow up with the impression that to be introverted was somehow less than being an extrovert?

Enjoy today's episode "Reframing Introversion".