What Motivates YOU!

 The podcast episode, "DISC: What Motivates You," hosted by Dan James, marks the show's return with a new focus on leadership, personal development, and motivation, often featuring solo hosting. The core of the episode is a talk Dan delivered using the DISC model—developed by Dr. William Moulton Marston—to explain how different personality styles are motivated, arguing that people leave jobs due to poor interpersonal relationships, not the work itself. Through a group exercise where attendees acted as city commissioners solving an infrastructure problem, Dan demonstrated the four styles: Dominant (D), who takes control and focuses on challenges; Influencer (I), who is outgoing, tells stories, and seeks fun environments; Steady (S), the reserved and stable backbone who values security and teamwork; and Compliant (C), who is detail-oriented, reserved, and thrives on excellence and precise planning. Understanding these motivators—such as giving a D control, an I praise, an S security, and a C time for detail—allows managers to place team members in roles where they are naturally driven, ensuring both job completion and high motivation. 

Transcript

What motivates you

Transcript

hello again everyone and welcome back to the Trim the Wick Podcast. My name is Dan James and I am so glad that you are with us again this week. Now we've been away for a little while and we are so glad to be back and you might be wondering something but Becky is not by my side right now and we are going to be doing a bunch of different things as we move forward with the Trim the Wick Podcast. We're going to be focusing on many different things, from leadership to family to personal living, personal development, all these things. And sometimes Becky will be with me, sometimes she won't. Now, this is going to be one of those things where we're just going to kind of play it by ear and have some fun with it. But we also want to make sure that we're adding value to you, the listener. We want to not take for granted that you are listening to this podcast once a week. We always want to make sure that we're adding value to you and that we're giving you something, even though it might be something totally different from week to week. But we're going to be focusing this week on leadership and finding how to motivate the people around you and how to motivate yourself. See, there's so many times when we get in a situation where we're unmotivated. And we need help getting out of that hole. I struggle with this many times. I get distracted. I get looking at different things. And even myself, I don't know what I'm doing sometimes because I'm just kind of like, wait a second, why am I not doing the things I need to be doing and should be doing? So this week, I recently did a talk for a group on your motivating factors and how Do you motivate yourself? How do you motivate others, and how do you put others in teams where they will be motivated to work? So, I hope you enjoy this. It's a great time that I had with this group, and you're going to learn a lot about being motivated.

So, what we do is we help people. We want to help people move forward in life. We want to help people learn about themselves, be able to communicate better, be able to motivate themselves, motivate others to be better leaders, because we've all had poor leaders in our life. We've all worked in situations and had those, you know, those moments where it's like, if I didn't need this paycheck, or if I didn't need this health insurance, I am out the door, like tomorrow, you know? It's interesting, they did a thing where they talked about why people leave jobs. People don't leave jobs because of the job. They leave jobs because of the people. So one of the things that I really want to do is I want to help businesses, help individuals, connect with people so that you're building a better work environment and you're having better relationships and you're connecting with people more. All right, so here's, we're going to start off, and I know we're getting food and stuff, but we're going to start off doing kind of a little exercise. And I want to just say every table, is a community or a city. Okay, so think about this. So your table is your own city. All right? Now, you are all commissioners, okay, of your city. Okay? So everyone here is a commissioner of their own city. Okay, so you guys have to work together and come up with a consensus to solve problems, to keep the city going. All right? Now, there is no mayors. There is no city managers. Everyone is equal. Okay, so you got to come with a consensus. Everyone's got to kind of agree. You've got to talk things through. All right, yeah, that's the hard part. Okay, and I know you guys are kind of like, whatever, you guys are a small town. You guys will work over here. You guys are a small town. This is a little small town, you know. Right, yeah. All right. All right. So we've got a hypothetical city. Everybody's hypothetical city is this beautiful city in the hills of some beautiful state, maybe called Florida, but maybe not. Okay. And this beautiful city is growing rapidly. And we have a problem. And our problem is our infrastructure stinks. So we've got to solve this infrastructure problem because we got to move some traffic. Because you know what? It's dangerous out there. You know, on the main street that goes through the city, and goes to our little town. It's just dangerous. And you could spend 45 minutes, like I did yesterday, on Highway 50, or I mean this road. So we need to work this out. So I want you all in your little cities, in your little town, in your little community meetings, you're going to spend about 5 minutes. I want you guys to talk about solutions. I want you guys to start coming up with ideas. How are we going to solve this? What are we going to do? How do we even put this in place? Okay, so I'm going to give everybody, I'm going to give you all about 5 minutes. So everybody kind of start talking about this. Everybody start just trying to figure this problem. There we go. All right, go. Five, four, three, two, one. All right. Good job, everybody. All right, all right. All right, let me bring everybody back together. So Obviously, that was a spirited, exciting moment there, So one of the things I want to talk about, and this is what I'm going to talk about today, I'm going to be talking about how to motivate people. How do you motivate individuals? And how are you personally motivated? So today, I kind of motivated everybody with hitting everybody with a pain point, right? And everybody was kind of eager to talk about it and get excited about it because we were relieving a pain point for everyone, okay? So that was kind of a quick motivation thing, right? But we're going to talk about how individually we all are motivated, okay? And I'm going to go back to my favorite tool, which you guys know I was going to come back around to it, is my DISC tool, okay? And this is amazing because DISC is so, it's so neat how it not only talks about who we are as in our communication style, but also in our motivation style. So Those of you who don't know anything about DISC, can I give you a quick 30-second, 45-second here background on DISC, okay? So DISC was brought about by a guy named Dr. Marston, okay? He was in the early 20th century, 1900, you know, early 1900s, and he was noticing how psychology was always focusing on abnormal things. We were always trying to fix the abnormal. We were trying to fix what's wrong with people. And he was like, wait a second, there's a lot of normal people in the world. let's look at normal people. So he actually wrote a book, and ready for this? is a study, I want to read it to you because this is a staggering name for a book. The Emotions of Normal People. That's what he did. So he came up with this great book called The Emotions of Normal People. So he did, he did a study, and in 1928, he came up with his theory, his disk theory, okay? And what it is, it focuses back, goes back actually hundreds of years, thousands of years, on how psychologists and philosophers always thought there were four parts of people, that there were these four different things that people were either leaned towards or were attracted to or kind of became. So he kind of focused on that, and he came up with these four different things. So I'm going to go real quick. So if you're a task-oriented individual and you're outgoing, you're going to be more of a D-type individual, which is our dominant individual. And we're going to talk about that in a second. If you're outgoing, but you're a people person, you're an I individual or an influencer, okay? If you're people oriented, but you're very reserved, you're an S individual, or what we call steady. But if you're reserved, but you're very task oriented, you're going to be more of a C type personality. Okay, so that's how we get the DISC. And what's the C stand for? DISC, oh, I'm sorry, the C is compliant. Okay? And it's not compliant as in you sit in the corner or whatever. It's compliant as in Richard's job. He makes sure that businesses are compliant, that they're following the rules, that they're making sure that they cross the T's and dot all the I's. That's what DISC is all about. Okay? So that's kind of how it breaks it down. So I want to talk about this because I want to show how what the exercise we just did is going to show who you are in your DISC style. All right? So I hope that this exercise was not to come up with great ideas. If you came up with a great idea, there's the man right there. If you have a great idea, give him the banks, because banks is going to need them, okay? But seriously, so we're going to talk about this. So, my D individuals, all right, when we started this whole thing, who was the first person that jumped in, started talking, started going, you know what, we need to do this, we need to get this thing, we need to start planning, we need to start putting this, I need to make this decision right now. Right? Okay? So that is your D-type individual. So D-type individuals, they're going to take control. They're going to start assigning projects to other people. D-type individuals are task-oriented and outgoing. So they want to finish the task, and they're not afraid to tell you how to finish the task. All right? Okay? So my individuals who were sitting at the table, who started talking about the stories of when they were stuck on traffic and how they can relieve traffic and this time that they went to the store and it took them 45 minutes to the store and how we need to do something and we need to come together and we need to, those are my I individuals, okay? Because you're storytellers. You like telling stories. You are emotionally attached to what you're doing, okay? It's an I individual, right? OK, now here's the neat thing of disk and stuff is we actually are parts of all four, OK? But there are definitely ones that we're stronger in. There's going to be one or two that we're definitely stronger in, okay? So our I individuals, you guys want to just kind of talk. You guys want to tell stories. You kind of want to look at the bigger picture. Also, when the projects are going, you want them to be pretty and tell a story, and you want murals and stuff, okay? Those are our I individuals, all right? Am I with, are you with me? All right, so here's S individuals. The S individual, when all the talking started, they did this. And what they did is they were surveying the room, they were thinking about it, they were thinking about where they fit in into the group. S individuals are amazing, and we're going to find out about S individuals because they are one of the most amazing people ever, because they're the ones who actually get things done, believe it or not. But the S individuals, they sat there and they kind of watched and they looked for their moment. They might have said one or two things. And as the conversation calmed down a little bit, as the conversation calmed down a little bit, they felt more comfortable to jump in. Remember, the S individuals, they're people oriented, but they're very reserved. Now my C people. My C people were the ones that were writing on the table over here. Okay, my C people are the ones that are trying to go, you know what? We need to do an impact study. We need to find out. We can't have the road closed for too long because it's even going to cause more of a problem. We need to make sure that we're diverting traffic in a way that it's safe. Right? Are those my C people? How many? Right? Okay, so those are the compliant people. They're thinking about the details. Okay? They're thinking about the details. And that's what a C person does. Another amazing person. So I need to go quick. So let me give you a quick scenario on how each style will operate in the same situation. Okay? So you have a store that's opening up. It is 8.55 A.m. The store opens up at 9. It's a super cold day. For Florida, it's about 50 degrees. Okay, it's a super cold day. There's a couple people that come to the door and they're tapping on the door because they want to come in because it's cold. They're freezing. Okay, the store opens in 5 minutes. All right, the store's ready to open. Everyone's set. There's nothing going, you know, nothing's on fire in the back. Everything's ready to go. Each style is going to handle the situation differently. The D style is going to go, we good? They're opening the door. Come on in, enjoy the day. That's the D style. The I style is going to open the door slowly and say, hey, I'm going to let you guys in, but we're not open yet. So what I'm going to need you to do is just come on in here. We're going to have you, so you're out of the cold. We don't want you guys being in the cold, so we're going to bring you in here. We're going to have you stand at the front here, and at 9 o'clock when the store opens, I'll let you guys pass. Okay, that's your I individual, right? Yeah, your S individual is going to go, all right, We need to call all the employees together. We need to make sure that everyone is sure that it's okay to open the doors. We need, because I need to have a consensus with everyone that everyone's good with me opening the doors. Right? And then your C individual does this. Ain't time yet. It ain't time. Right? The exact same situation, okay, but because of their style and their motivators to Act, they act very differently, so the next time you go to the store and the manager's standing in and they won't open the door at 9:00, you're like going, Oh, that's a C individual, so all right. I want to talk a little bit more because I want to talk about each individual one, and I want to talk about the motivators for those, because I think in this room we have everybody. We have a D, I, S, and a C in this room. So let's talk about this a little bit. So the D, the dominance, okay, that makes up about 3% of the population. Okay, small group, but you know what? These are the people who get things done. They are They're the ones that are going to be out in front. They're the ones that are really telling people what to do. They're the ones that are making decisions quickly. You know, when I am in an accident in my EMT crew, I want two people. I want a D individual and I want a C individual, right? I want the D person because I want them to make decisions fast. And I want the C individual because I want to make sure it's done right. And they're going to make sure everything's going on. So that's why those are those things you're looking for, right? But here's a motivator style for a D. D's are decisive, so they need to have control. So if you have a D person working for you, need to give them opportunities to take control. Okay, that's going to motivate them. You need to also give them challenges. D's love to be challenged. One of the negative things with D's is they love to argue too. Okay. I'm just saying. But they are, but they like achievable goals. They like to make decisions. They like to be in charge. I individuals are about 11% of the population. And motivators for eyes is exactly what we've been talking to. We need to have a friendly, fun environment. I individuals are saying these things like, if it's not fun, I'm not going to do it. That's an I individual. You go to an event and the event was dull and boring. The next time that event comes up, you go, Am I going to do it or not? Because it wasn't really good. You don't even care that you got a lead out of it or anything. It's just, it wasn't fun. I'm not going to do something that's not fun and enjoyable, right? So to set up for an I individual, we need to do that. We need to make sure that we're making an environment that's fun, that they want to be a part of. Also, I individuals need to talk. You need to let them talk, okay? Let them explain to you what they're doing, even though it drives you nuts. Give them a moment to explain their achievements and then praise them and encourage them. All right, here we go. C, my C folks, I'm sorry, my S folks. My S folks, it's about 69, 70% of the population. This is the backbone of everything, okay? These are the people that make everything work. These are your steady, hardworking people. They put things together. They're going to take it. They're going to work in challenges. They're good working people. They're going to team up. They love to team up. Okay? So if you're going to motivate an S individual, security. Let them know their job is safe. Let them know what they're doing is good. Okay? Tell them, hey, constant praise, constant praise. All right? Encourage them to work together. If you see them at the water cooler, don't yell at them. Okay? Because that's part of their community. That's part of them connecting and being motivated. All right? I was going to talk about the other thing with S's is S's despise conflict. They will run away from conflict. So if you have an office where the bosses are arguing or people are arguing, you're going to run your S people off. Okay? Last one, C, compliant. Okay, this is about 17% of the people. Okay, compliance are your number people. They're the ones that are going to make sure that everything, you know, that your bridge doesn't fall when you build it. Okay? They're going to make sure everything's in order. They're going to take care of all those little things that the I person doesn't care about, that the D person doesn't care about, that the S person's concerned about. Okay? So you got to have, so what do we do for a motivator for our C people? Okay, you need to make sure that they have, they're focused on excellence. Tell them, hey, I know you're going to do excellent. And I want excellence out of you. Man, that encourages a C individual. Because that's like, yes, that's me. I'm excellent. I can do the excellent work. All right. You also want to give them measured progress. Okay. All right. Also, the other thing is, Cs also love to make plans. They love to diagram things. They love to set things and put little things in motion, plans. Let them do it. And I know you're a D individual as the owner, manager, and you're just like, come on, give me the bullet points. They don't think bullet points. They think flow charts. Okay. All right. So one last thing, and then we'll, we're running. Okay. So how does this, how does this work in the real world? Okay? So you've got a project you've got to do. Your team, you have a team of three that you're going to be bringing this project to, they're all Ds. Okay? Sorry, I'm sorry for you. I apologize. I mean it. But they're all D individuals. What are you going to do? How are you going to motivate them for this project? You might have 15 pages of notes. You're going to come in with a half-page bullet point and you're going to say, we need to do this, You're going to handle this, you're going to handle this, and you're going to handle this. Boom. and you're going to let them go. Because that's how they're motivated. That's how they act and react. Here's the next one is that you also have a project that needs to be done. And it's three things that need to be done in it. You know, you're doing a construction project like we were talking about. You got to set up contractors. You got to get with the community. And you also have to organize a timeline and do impact studies. But your team is a D, I, and a C. So think about the jobs that have to be done and the individuals. So who's going to work with the contractors the best? My D individual. Why? Because they're going to sit on the contractors and make sure they're doing their job. Who's going to talk to the community and make sure that the community disruption is not bad? That's going to be your I individual. Who's going to do the impact plan and your timeline? That you're C individual. So when you're looking at your team and their styles, it helps you as a manager put people in the right place, not just so that the job's done correctly, but that they're motivated to work. Because when you put them in the right place to be motivated, they will work.

Well, thank you so much for listening to this podcast. I had a great time recording this and I had a great time with that group. Now, if you want to know more about what I do in my leadership development series, and if you want to purchase a DISC assessment for yourself to learn more about yourself and your own motivators, go to www..trimthewick.com. And remember, leadership is a skill, and you can be taught to become a great leader. All right, love you. Bye-bye.