[00:00:00 ] Suzie : welcome to this wake up eager workforce podcast mini episode where we share in 10 minutes or less our monthly article from LinkedIn in a new audio format courtesy of our AI co host as they walk through the article and share additional insights exclusively for you I am Susie Price I'm your podcast host and the founder of Priceless Professional Development and whether you're listening to one of our long form episodes or something like this mini episode our focus is always to provide everything to you related to helping employees in your organization build a high commitment low drama wake up eager workforce we're focused on creating great hiring creating great teams helping leaders and individuals wake up eager you can find all of our episodes long form and short form at Wake Up Eager workforce.com and you can subscribe anywhere that you get your podcasts so let me know if you have any questions if you are enjoying these mini episodes or any of our other episodes or if I can help you in any way you can find me at Susie at priceless professional. com Susie Price on LinkedIn and of course our contact information if you go to wake up eager workforce.com thanks for tuning in appreciate you very much and go out and have a wake up eager kind of day take care

[00:01:24 ] A1 : let's be honest for a second for all the hype the holiday season can sometimes feel less like a break and more like a high stakes pressure cooker hey definitely you're juggling family dynamics trying to manage expectations and scrambling to find that one perfect gift that just screams I get you

[00:01:40 ] A2 : that annual stress is so real and you know the sources we've gathered suggest that a lot of these problems from gift anxiety to arguments over who does what they're really just rooted in miscommunication

[00:01:53 ] A1 : exactly so our mission today is to do a deep dive into an insight that could be your shortcut to a well a much smoother season

[00:02:02 ] A2 : we're gonna look at a really effective framework for understanding people it's called the d I s C model

[00:02:06 ] A1 : and this isn't about you know diagnosing your relatives it's just about observing behavior and understanding what actually motivates them especially when things get stressful

[00:02:15 ] A2 : precisely d I s C stands for Dominance Influence Steadiness and compliance it's just a smart way to cateagerrize the kinds of behaviors and communication styles you can actually see

[00:02:26 ] A1 : but what I think is so great about our source material is that it turns this the psychological insight into really practical advice it does yeah the research pulls out five specific tips from the model that tackle the biggest holiday stressors we're talking about strategies for delegating tasks activities to lower stress what gifts to actually wrap up

[00:02:46 ] A2 : and even how to praise someone in a way that lands and crucially what pitfalls to avoid so you can keep the peace

[00:02:53 ] A1 : think of this deep dive as like getting the instruction manual for every important person in your life

[00:02:59 ] A2 : a guide to making sure that when you give a gift or just have a conversation you're actually meeting one of their core needs

[00:03:06 ] A1 : okay so before we jump into the applications we really need to slow down and nail the foundation here right I think a common mistake is just memorizing the letter we need to understand the you know the engine that's driving each style why are they acting that way

[00:03:19 ] A2 : that's the most critical piece yeah if you only look at the behavior you completely miss the motivation we're defining these styles by what they seek out and what they're you know fundamentally trying to avoid okay so let's start let's start with the high d for dominance you'll see them as assertive fast paced competitive the go getter the go getter exactly yeah but their core driver is results and control they value competence achievement so their communication needs to be direct quick you want the bottom line they want the bottom line if you start rambling you're wasting their time and that is a major stress trigger for them

[00:03:56 ] A1 : so when my uncle cuts me off mid sentence it's not necessarily him being rude it's efficiency

[00:04:01 ] A2 : it's efficiency he's trying to control the pace of the conversation right to get to the result faster exactly okay next up the high eye the influence style they're the friendly enthusiastic fast paced ones who love change the life of the party totally they're fundamentally people focused their driver is recognition and social acceptance

[00:04:22 ] A1 : so they need to feel liked

[00:04:23 ] A2 : they need to feel included and valued by the group their core need is simple let them talk let them share their stories they thrive on that positive attention

[00:04:33 ] A1 : right that's the person who shows up and immediately starts working the room they're literally recharging by being the center of attention even for a moment

[00:04:40 ] A2 : that's it now moving to the other half we find the high s the steadiness style they're warm patient and they keep a much steadier calmer pace their core driver is security and stability

[00:04:55 ] A1 : okay so they're the opposite of the high eye in some ways

[00:04:58 ] A2 : in many ways yes they are loyal but they're deeply resistant to sudden change or conflict they crave harmony

[00:05:05 ] A1 : so what does that mean for communication it means their primary need is for assurance they need to know that everyone is getting along and that the plan is secure that sounds like a wonderful quality but a chaotic holiday morning must be incredibly stressful for them

[00:05:18 ] A2 : oh it's brutal they're the human stabilizer but they can burn out so fast if the environment gets too frantic

[00:05:24 ] A1 : okay and the last one finally

[00:05:25 ] A2 : the high C compliance they are reserved neat cautious and intensely task focused so their core driver is accuracy and quality they're analytical precise when you communicate with a high C you have to use logic detail all the necessary details because their biggest fear is being wrong or producing something that's substandard

[00:05:49 ] A1 : wow okay so understanding these core drivers control recognition security and accuracy that's the lens we need to apply to these five tips

[00:05:59 ] A2 : exactly so let's look at the first two practical applications they're all about activity how you involve people in holiday tasks and how they really unwind

[00:06:07 ] A1 : this is about meeting their need for either what autonomy or connection that's a great way to put it so let's call the first one the gift of delegation it's giving them a project they'll actually enjoy because it fits their style not just dumping a chore on them

[00:06:20 ] A2 : right for the dominant style if you want them engaged give them something where they can move fast be in charge and make their own decisions

[00:06:26 ] A1 : okay so what would that look like

[00:06:28 ] A2 : the sources strongly suggest getting them involved in competitive family games they need to lead they need to win

[00:06:35 ] A1 : but what if I say give my high d relative a task like planning the seating chart and I don't agree with what they come up with

[00:06:43 ] A2 : ah that's where you have to be careful

[00:06:45 ] A1 : they don't handle interference well

[00:06:47 ] A2 : not at all the source material implies that for a d style you delegate the outcome not the process give them the goal a perfect seating chart and then you have to step back

[00:06:57 ] A1 : if I undermine their control

[00:06:59 ] A2 : you raise their stress levels through the roof yeah immediately got it

[00:07:03 ] A1 : what about the high eye

[00:07:04 ] A2 : the influence style should be your social coordinator your cheerleader ask them to help gather people manage the mood but remember they're driver recognition recognition so you have to make time to listen to their ideas and verbally share your appreciation for them loudly

[00:07:22 ] A1 : they don't want to quite thank you they want applause pretty much

[00:07:24 ] A2 : now the steady style needs a very different approach if you ask for help you have to provide assurances review instructions clearly and check in often but gently you draw them out right you draw them out by asking personal relational questions their task should be something that builds harmony not creates pressure

[00:07:43 ] A1 : okay and the C the compliance style

[00:07:46 ] A2 : this is your detail expert tasks that need focus precision they love that like what assembling that complex new toy managing the high tech home theater or figuring out the you know the detailed instructions for a new gourmet recipe they find calm in complexity

[00:08:03 ] A1 : that makes so much sense you're giving them the gift of certainty structure exactly now let's pivot to the second activity tip yeah how they should distress when the holiday chaos really hits

[00:08:14 ] A2 : okay for the dominant style distressing means vigorous competitive activity it's about physically burning off that need for control so like flag football flag football an intense workout or even really goal oriented activities like intense targeted shopping

[00:08:29 ] A1 : and the influence style they need people

[00:08:31 ] A2 : they need social replenishment absolutely yeah socializing people oriented fun thing charades organizing a big family video call or even just engaging heavily on social media

[00:08:41 ] A1 : they recharge by connecting

[00:08:43 ] A2 : and being affirmed by others okay the steadiness style though nee