is in slowing down. I assumed everyone thought like me, and it caused some issues.” Trent’s struggle is not uncommon to most D types. Their bullish tactics can thrust them into confrontational situations, forcing them to fight their way out. When communicating with other D’s, this natural tendency doesn’t tend to create much tension. “When I’m with another D, it’s no problem. But when I’m with C or S personality types, I have to adapt. Otherwise, communication is a lot more difficult.” A C type tends to be more detailed- oriented, and an S is more of a compassionate seeker of harmony. Often, D personalities will have significant complications with I types. I is more of a talkative people person, and D sees that creativity as a hindrance to progress. It would be like putting an executive and an artist in the same room and then asking them to make a cake in under 30 minutes. Without the understanding of how each other communicates, the only thing that’s going to result from that partnership is good television. understanding. It helps me learn other personalities.” The results help foster connections that allow teammates and leaders to better work together. Some businesses will put the results on name tags or on signs at the employees’ desks. That way, everyone can provide home- court advantage for the receiver in the conversation exchange. It creates an environment that gets results and keeps morale high. Many managers fail to understand that communication doesn’t happen on their terms, but rather on their teammates’, and that means leaders must branch out of their comfort zones. If an I personality type is in a leadership role and they are communicating with a D, understanding “Every employee takes a DISC analysis. There’s no right or wrong, just an
how to ask leading questions and provide direct feedback becomes pivotal to how that verbal exchange will go. If the I tries to dance around the emotions of the D and talk to them like they are another I, the conversation will not bear any fruit. Even worse, because of their dominant nature, the D could potentially become frustrated and disregard the I. This is why leadership is such a challenge; we’re forced to adapt our conversation methods to meet others on their levels. It requires a high degree of emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills. Understanding personality types also helps when learning best practices from other businesses. The more a company grows, the more imperative it becomes to share information, especially when your geography has you isolated. “Being in Alaska, things hit us later than the lower 48 states,” says Trent. That isolation also includes access to novel business concepts. Where most would sit back and wait as their city caught up to the times, Trent went looking for solutions to stay up-to-date with the best of the best, which led him to Business Networks. Since the 1980s, Business Networks has been helping members improve their BUSINESS NETWORKS
companies through peer review, and Trent has seen substantial benefits. “We’re able to work with businesses across the U.S. No one in our state has a business like ours, so we’re able to use this network to speak with other business owners and share our successes and failures. It’s been invaluable.” Not having access to other similar businesses makes for good market share, but it also creates limitations when trying to implement better systems. In some cases, complacency can set in because there’s no threat to your company, and that’s when poor service arises. Nothing kills long-term success faster than unsatisfied customers. Competition is usually a source of accountability, but when you have minimal threats, it takes an astute business owner to seek out a system of checks and balances. “You can go to a convention, and people say lots of stuff, and you never know what’s real. With the Business Networks process, you go through all financials and procedures, there’s a company that hosts you, and you can interview the company. There’s not a lot to hide from.” The reciprocation of those actions helps create a relationship that aids all the businesses in the group. As Trent explains it, “You make a big brother bond,” but not one with wedgies or wrestling. “People want
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