Is it “the great resignation,” “the great mental health crisis,” or “the great awakening”? Whatever you call what’s going on right now, it may be time for DiSC and the Great Corporate America reset.

A somber time of sober reflection

The pandemic has turned our lives upside down, compelling a lot of us to turn inward and take stock of our lives. Consider this from www.fastcompany.com:  “For the first time in a long time, people are asking if the work they’re doing is really valuable, ” says Credit Karma’s chief people officer Colleen McCreary. “What is the value of my  time, the impact I’m making on the world, and the sacrifice I’m making relative to other things I could be doing?” 

Invisible, replaceable, and undervalued

The stress and strain of the lockdown magnified how many employees already felt about their status at work: invisible, replaceable, and undervalued. Feeling more like a tiny, anonymous cog in a mammoth money-making machine—a nobody, going nowhere, with no sense of purpose or meaning.

And COVID-19 casualties have made a lot of us more aware of the fragility of life and of our own mortality. Even young workers are learning not to take life for granted. For many of these Millennials and GenZers, their past lives have flashed before their eyes, and they’re disappointed at what they see.

They wonder if the spirit of carpe diem is still alive! COVID has definitely inspired some people to seize the day and live their best lives while they can! So what does this mean for employers and the  workplaces where staffers spend so much of their time?

A reality check during surreal times

According to www.fastcompany.com, “….The [responsibility] is on the employer to know what employees value and to be able to articulate why the work they are doing matches the value they say it is.” Of course, this could actually become a glass-half-full moment for leaders who are willing to put in the work—provided they have the right tools.

Reset your mindset

The most valuable tool is a teachable mind. Traditions are often the dried fruit of inflexible minds that are only comfortable doing everything the old way. Some traditions need to be upgraded; others dropped altogether. The ability to change your mindset when things around you change will be an invaluable asset to you as a leader. 

But, it may take a while to reset your perspective on team building, because it is now more individually-oriented than ever in the history of Corporate America. On-site or at home—where your employees are physically located is not the first order of business. Rather, developing one-on-one relationships with each employee will make it easier to rebuild your teams no matter where they are. 

DiSC: the Great Corporate America Reset Button

The second important tool you’ll need is DiSC. DiSC personality profile training helps leaders translate employee behavior so they know how to get the very best out of each person.

DiSC delineates 4 personality traits: Dominant, Influential, Supportive or Steadfast, and Conscientious. Personality profile training will teach you how to recognize these traits in each of your staff members. It’ll also provide a blueprint for professional development tailored to each one so that desirable assets are cultivated, and weaknesses are identified and improved. 

Who are you working with—really?

• Do you know what matters most to your staff? Is it public recognition or private validation? Solid relationships among colleagues?
• Why are they working at your company? Beyond the obvious need for a paycheck, what holds them there? 
• What or who is their “why”?

 Insights, understanding, and acceptance

DiSC can help you see who they are and not just what they do. After all, a note of congratulations is easier to write when you know the recipient personally and what there is about them that makes you want to celebrate. 

Individual attention makes teams gel more easily because everyone feels as if they matter. And every meeting should become a touchstone of connection with individuals. It should fully engage each participant whether in-person or online.

 DiSC is like a chaperone on a blind date—it helps you break the ice and get to know your employee as a person. And it  provides filters through which you can process information about each worker that you can actually use. DiSC is designed to facilitate your cultivating a healthy professional relationship with every person, and in so doing, strengthen your entire team.

DiSC: This is how toxic corporate cultures become healthier. It’s how solid teams are built. It’s the reset button you need to move forward.