Communication

Communication, a factor that corresponds to DISC's Influence, is a factor seen in teams where there is a strong representation of open, socially expressive styles. Where Communication is shown in a Team Profile, the members of the team can be expected to interact in a positive and usually somewhat informal manner. The development of personal relationships within the team structure is as important to people of this kind as the more formal aspects of the team's operation. Teams showing high Communication can be expected to cohesive and well integrated, with members coming to rely on one another and to develop mutual trust.

The emphasis on social interaction that the Communication factor brings with it, however, can impact on the effectiveness of the team. Because members place so much importance on developing and maintaining relationships with one another, this can lead to their being distracted from more practical issues.

Application (inverse Communication)

A team with low Communication is defined as 'Applied'. In such a team, members focus and concentrate on the practicalities of their work, and apply themselves to the achievement of these tasks. They will typically seek to avoid distraction or interruption, preferring to concentrate on their own work.

Because most members of an Applied team will be, by definition, rather uncommunicative, this can lead to difficulties when it comes to the integration of team members into a working unit. The ability of such a team's members to concentrate hard on specific tasks is a useful one, but such work will tend to take place in a vacuum; the members concerned will often work without reference to other members. This means that an Applied team, while it has its advantages, can be expected to take a great deal more detailed management than many other types.