Wednesday most of the team, along with about 50 other Realtors, attended a day long training session at the Keller Williams, Columbia Market Center. The subject matter was something I’ve wanted to know more about since joining KW: The DISC personality assessment.
I think the first time I’d heard about “the DISC” was when we traveled to Orlando to attend our first Keller William’s National Convention, better known as Family Reunion. As Amanda and I attended the breakout sessions, hung out in the lobby, rode buses, and got to know everyone in bars and dining places, Realtors from all over the country were asking us, “What’s your DISC?” I would often answer, “I don’t know, we’re new” as a way to get out of the conversation. Reactions would vary as pretty much every KW Realtor knows EXACTLY what this is. Faces looking at me would crinkle & eyebrows would rise. After we’d explain that we had only been with KW for a week, folks would start to understand. Truth told, we were so green to the whole vocabulary, I thought they were talking about something spelled, “d i s k.” If someone said, “I’m a high C,” or “I’m a CS,” I would just go with it, but in my head wonder, “Am I missing something, or am I stupid(er).”
Fast forward to Wednesday and I’ve learned a lot over the last year. I’ve now traveled to Orlando, Durham, Austin, and New Orleans and picked up what the DISC is all about. Finally, though, I was able to attend a class that took the DISC to the next level for me and hopefully the rest of the team. Over the last year I’ve learned we have a bunch of “I” on the team (very social), and two people that “lead with their C’ (precise/detail oriented).
“Why do you care, or why do you need this??” you may ask? I care very much, actually. This personality assessment and the ability to understand it makes me a better Realtor. It makes me a better teammate, and the same is true for the rest of the team. It helps us more clearly define our roles within the team and how better to communicate with each other. Knowing how to communicate with different personalities means a more efficient and better environment. It means happier people.
You may be wondering, “Why are you blogging about this, and what does this mean for me?” Answer: Everything. It’s a game changer. While most of the blog post is about KW and team stuff, it’s really about the client. It’s about maximizing the Realtor/client relationship. Sure, team members being most comfortable (happy) and knowing their defined roles is a big deal. Naturally, this means a better experience for the client. That said, knowing what’s important to the client is the real goal here, and finding out what’s important to buyers and sellers is part of the job.
Remember, not everyone is the same. Some folks are simply, “Just sell my damn house.” Some are, “What do you think?” Some are, “Why do you need this?” Today’s class helped hit this nail on the head.
Big, BIG shout out to Cynthia Matheny for coming to Columbia and teaching us what she knows. It’s not often I encourage the whole team to attend an event, but I’m a big picture/greater good guy, and in my opinion this was a good thing for our real estate practice.
The pic above is of Amanda having her DISC personality assessment “validated” by Cynthia (0f course, Amanda volunteered). After Cynthia noticed that Amanda couldn’t stop looking towards the team, they immediately traded places. I just looked at the wall and kept my mouth shut the whole time. 🙂
A quick and interesting case study that I noticed as we broke out for lunch – Amanda is and “ID,” maybe even a “DI.” Knowing this, I watched…the moment Cynthia let us go for lunch Amanda was off her chair and scooping lasagna out of the tray before anyone else, without even looking up. I tend to be an “IS” or “SI,” and true to form I hung back and watched what was going on (including watched her jet to the food tray like a honey badger). I let everyone in the room get in front of me while I continued to socialize but observe. It was an interesting snapshot of exactly what we were talking about. Remember, there is no right or wrong, just different.
In sum today was fun, but also important. This exercise will make us a better team for our clients who trust us to get the results they expect! I’ll type more as I learn more, but it’s pretty fascinating, even as we break it down to my kids. Their emotions and reactions are telling me that I can’t talk to Finley, Ivey, and Nora the same, effectively.
Thank you!!
Franklin
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