Understanding People Session I

Identifying your Personal Profile Aim: This session has a three-fold aim. 1. To help the participants get to know each other and what each persons expectations are for today. 2. To provide an overview of the seminar and the DiSC Personal Profile System. 3. To have each participant complete the DiSC profile response page. Materials needed: introduction sheet handout, pen or pencil, DiSC Personal Profile System booklet and a coin, definition listing Time needed: sixty minutes - one hour Personal Introduction (5 minutes) After introducing yourself and sharing your perspective of the importance of understanding people, open the session in prayer. Introductory Comments (2 minutes) If you were to look at flowers, trees or snowflakes under a microscope youd quickly realize that God is a Creator who purposely intends diversity. Its an amazing thought that of all the people who have lived since the world began no two has been exactly alike. This God-made creation is beautiful in its variety but not simple in design or relationship to one another. Human creation is more complex than say a flower. We have been given the ability to move, think, choose and love (amongst other things). Freedom and diversity combined make for both enriching and challenging encounters. The more we can understand ourselves, each other, our environments and what Gods purposes and plans are for us, the more our lives individually and communally are enhanced and enriched. The purpose of this seminar is to help us work towards this end. Transition statement to opening exercise - To begin Id like us to take some time to get to know each other and to learn a little about our differences and even a bit about our strengths and weaknesses. As the handout is passed around please select a partner who you will be with in this exercise and in other partnering exercises throughout the seminar. [Handout #1] Share with neighbor exercise - Introduction Sheet (5 minutes) Follow along as I read the instructions or objective of the exercise. Objective: This exercise is designed to help us get to know one another. Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions about the fellow participant. When you have completed this activity, you will be asked to introduce your partner to other participants. Instruct the group that they will have five minutes for both partners to share. Based on the number of people in attendance will determine if everyone can be introduced to the

group. Id suggest ten minutes for group introduction which could allow up to 20 people if they can share briefly (30 seconds for each introduction.) Share with group exercise - Introduce your partner (10 minutes) Indicate the time allotted for introductions and encourage brief yet complete summaries. Transition statement (3 minutes) - It is evident from what youve shared that we are people who are involved in various environments, doing various activities with differences in what we most like and least like about our involvement. In a few minutes we are each going to complete the DiSC profile so we can begin to better understand the behaviors of ourselves and others as it relates to specific environments we find ourselves in. Let me first share a overview statement from Ken Voges and Ron Braunds book, Understanding How Others Misunderstand You, which describes the DiSC Personal Profile System: For background, DISC is a behavior model developed by William Marston in the early 1900s and centers on four basic styles. D signifies Dominance, I signifies Influencing/Interacting, S signifies Steadiness, and C signifies Compliance/Cautious. The Dominance style desires to control the environment, whereas the Interacting/Influencer focuses on other people and having fun. The Steadiness style values loyalty and cooperating with others, whereas the Cautious/Compliance style is compelled to do things the right or correct way. This particular model has been well researched and tested for validity and is considered one of the best human resource tools in the industry today. [Handout #2] - DiSC booklet, Handout #3 - DiSC definition listing DiSC Personal Profile Instructions (10 minutes) - As the DiSC booklets and definition listing are being passed out I need you to do two things. First, everyone will need a coin to scratch off the answers on the response page of the booklet. Be sure you, and everyone around you, have a coin. Secondly, you need to select a setting or focus that you will continually keep in mind as you respond to the profile questions. For example you might choose work, school, home, corps leadership or group membership. Its important to keep the focus or setting in your mind as you answer because we all know we respond differently based on our environment. Lets begin by reading the cover page. Would someone like to volunteer to be our reader? Have the volunteer read then have everyone fill in their name, the date and the setting or focus for this Profile response. You might suggest they select an area where they are experiencing challenges or struggles with personalities or responsibilities. Another option for those who in the past couple years have taken a similar personality profile is to pick a different setting or focus. Lets turn to page two and fill in at the top your focus or selected setting. Now across the page lets read the instructions for number 1 entitled, RESPONDING.

Read the instructions; ask if there are any questions about what they are to do. Encourage the group not to spend too much time analyzing each question but to go with initial responses. Also remind them to keep in mind the focus or setting theyve selected. You have a definition listing that corresponds to the question number and words of the response sheet if you need to understand better what a word means. If you dont dwell on your responses youll find this can be completed in 10-15 minutes. Any questions before we begin? When you are done place your coin on the table so I can see when to bring us back together. While you wait for the others to finish, begin reading on page three the instructions (but dont fill in) for points 2, 3 and 4. DiSC Personal Profile System Response (10 - 15 minutes) If all goes as scheduled (an unlikely event) youll have ten minutes left in this session to begin point 2, Counting and Recording, point 3, Determining the Difference and point 4, Plotting (for time purposes Id suggest you plot only graph III or the Differences column of the tally box.) These instructions prepare the participant for the interpretation material. To move this along, be well prepared yourself so you too are not trying to figure out what is to be done. Have participants who quickly understand what to do help those neighbors who seem hesitant. Id suggest doing it together, step by step, following along with the instructions. You may choose to break at the end of the Responding section in which case, forget the putting the coin down to signify completion. Agree upon a start time for the next session and begin the recording and counting together at the beginning of session two.

Session II
Interpreting your Personal Profile Aim: This session has a three-fold aim. 1. To begin or complete the tallying and plotting of graph three (the difference column). 2. To allow each participant time to review individually then in partners the three stages of interpretation (Stage I - General highlights, Stage II - Dimensional Intensity Index, Stage III - Classical Profile Patterns.) 3. Time permitting, allow for group response or questions to the profile and its interpretive content. Materials needed: The same Disc booklet handed out in session I and the coin Time needed: sixty minutes - one hour Introductory Comments (3 minutes) The goal of this next hour is to allow you time to review the results of your responses by following the guidelines for interpretation. Your booklet has three different yet related methods of interpreting or understanding your personal profile. After we complete the tallying and plotting of graph III, well read the GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETATION together then youll spend a few minutes on your own following the SUGGESTION FOR USE section. After your personal consideration of each interpretation stage youll share with your partner your impression of the material. Time permitting well conclude this session by getting some feedback from the group. So lets pick up where we left off in the tallying and plotting of our responses. Tallying and Plotting our Responses (1-12 minutes) Follow the instruction for points 2, 3, 4C. only, and 5. Once everyone is done have someone read aloud GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETATION at the top of page 6. Read GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETATION (top of page 6) General Highlights - Stage I (15 minutes) For the next ten minutes read the guidelines for interpreting of the GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS, STAGE I. Then follow the SUGGESTIONS FOR USE, particularly points 1 and 2. Ill let you know when ten minutes are up, at which time share with your partner, in about two or three minutes each, those descriptions which are most like you, and which action plans you think would be best for the selected setting or focus you chose. Dimensional Intensity Index - Stage II (15 minutes) Turn to page 8 of your booklet and together well walk through the instructions.

Go through steps 1-5 together. Now take the next five minutes to personalize your interpretation by following the guidelines in step 6. Ill let you know when five minutes are up, at which time share with your partner, in about two or three minutes each, those descriptions which you most agree with and which you disagree with, keeping in mind the selected setting or focus you chose. Classical Profile Pattern - Stage III (15 minutes) Turn to page 9 of your booklet, right column, section entitled, PROCEDURE FOR FINDING YOUR CLASSICAL PROFILE PATTERN, and together well walk through the instructions. Go through steps 1-6 together. Now take the next five minutes to personalize your interpretation by following the guidelines in step 6. Ill let you know when five minutes are up, at which time share with your partner, in about two or three minutes each, those descriptions which you most agree with and which you disagree with, keeping in mind the selected setting or focus you chose. Share with group exercise - Impression of interpretation methods (remaining time) Lets come back together. Would a few of you like to share your impression of these interpretation methods? What have you learned today so far? Lets close with prayer asking that God would use what weve learned to help us better understand ourselves and others so that we might respect the diversity of His Creation and accept the responsibility of being His beloved children. Closing Prayer

Session III Understanding our Differences

Aim: This session has a three-fold aim. 1. To help the participants understand the diverse factors that make people different, such as, strengths and weaknesses, perceptions, the situation and environment, motivations, etc. 2. To review how the four DiSC personalities relate with each other and summarize the behavioral tendencies for each type. 3. To have the participants consider the most important factors in working with others. Materials needed: handouts overhead projector, overhead pens, overhead transparencies,

Note: Prior to the session beginning ask four people from each personality type to be a reader later in the session, Handout #4, PERSONALITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS. Provide them their respective page, i.e. D, I, S, C, and ask them to review it prior to reading aloud. Be sure you have asked people who you know are good readers. Time needed: sixty minutes - one hour Introductory Comments (2 minutes) Knowing who you are or constructing your own personality profile is not enough to effectively communicate with others or to reach your own potential. There are other factors that affect us and need to be touched upon to support a more balanced understanding of how personalities and relationships work together. There are many ways that we differ from one another so this session will begin by considering a few of them. Lets first begin with a word of prayer asking God to help us retain and move into our lives what we learn in these next sessions. Opening prayer [Overhead #1] - Differences in Perception (5 minutes) One of the ways we are different is in how we see things. This can be an item such as a partially filled glass of water. Visually we observe something and draw conclusions. The infamous glass of water is typically seen as: * half full * half empty * either half full or half empty * who cares?

This illustrates the perception differences of an object but what about a situation. Lets say an unshaven, sort of unkempt looking man enters your place of worship. Following the service he comes over to you and asks for ______________.

Ask the group for possible answers. If youre neat and tidy you probably suspect hes going to ask you for money. If you like the unshaven relaxed look it may be you think he is going to ask for a listing of program services available. If youre the compassionate looking type you may think he needs to talk about a struggle hes going through. If youre a social service worker you may think hes going to tell you a story to get something he needs - youve heard it so many times before. Our past experiences in addition to our personalities help shape our perceptions, therefore our behavior. Transition statement - Our behavior differences are shaped not only by our personality and perception differences but also by our motivations. [Overhead #2] - Motivating Principles (3 minutes) When we consider why others or we behave in certain ways, its important to remember that there are internal motivations at work. 1. You cannot motivate other people. However, it is possible to create an environment in which people can become self-motivated. 2. All people are motivated. Even the hypochondriac may actually be motivated to be that way. People who are lazy are motivated to be lazy. 3. People do things for their reasons, not your reasons. People often come to Christ for their needs to be met. 4. A persons strength overextended may become a limitation. Transition statement - Some motivations are basic and harmless. For example, Im hungry and am motivated to get something to eat. Other motivations can be harmful to us as well as others. If Im a Dominant type personality and known for getting the job done well, but am in an environment that is unresponsive to my values, priorities or style of working, I may become stubborn, oppressive or unproductive. Again we see that various factors are at work in our behaviors and responses. [Overhead #3] - Building on our Strengths (3 minutes) Its important to recognize that our strengths do not automatically flourish simply because they are strengths. Draw on an overhead transparency or a chalkboard a double circle, intertwined. Label one circle Strength and one Situation. Color in the portion of the circles that cross and emphasize that the colored in area is where we are our strongest. 1. Each person has strengths. 2. Each person has weaknesses. 3. You are most effective when you are in situations, which build on your strengths.

If you are a creative thinker who enjoys developing new ways of approaching a task, on a committee that is filled with people who value the status quo, your creative seed has not been planted in a soil that will permit it to grow. Share with neighbor exercise (8 minutes) - Matching Strength with a Situation Select one of your personality strengths and recall a time when the situation either allowed your strength to develop and grow or did not allow for your strength to be truly expressed. Consider what you may have done differently to allow that trait to develop. You have a total of eight minutes for both partners to share. Transition statement - As youve reflected on your own experience youve probably recognized that the dynamics of personalities and relationships are complex. Understandably, it is tough to know how to best proceed or respond when we each have unique personalities, perceptions, and motivations, when our strengths and weaknesses combined with those of others in various situations are different. We each realize that the personality types have both strengths and weaknesses and the environment greatly influences whether what we do is an expression of a strength or a weakness. A helpful formula to keep a balance in our behavior is as follows: [Overhead #4] - Balance formula (2 minutes) Personality + (who you are) Environment (where you are) = Behavioral Style (what you do)

Transition statement - Weve reviewed some of the factors which affect our communication and effectiveness in various environments. Lets return to the DiSC model and review how the four basic personalities tend to relate with each other. [Handout #4] - Personalities and Relationships (10 minutes) As we read through this material be thinking of the primary relationships in your life; your spouse or significant other, family, boss and co-workers, Corps members, friends considering how you might respond to them in new ways. Did you ask volunteers prior to the session to participate in this reading exercise? Have a D read the D Relationships, I read the I relationship page, and so on. [Handout #5] - Reviewing my Behavioral Tendencies, and handout #6 Defining DiSC -Behavioral Tendencies (10 minutes) Weve listened to how the different Personality Types can best work together. Id like you to take the next 10 minutes to consider how your personality type expresses itself in several situations. To assist you in completing the Reviewing my Behavioral Tendencies handout is a second handout which is a summary sheet defining the four personalities behavioral tendencies. Transition statement - Understanding your own behavioral tendencies and appreciating the value of the different personality types prepares us to work together. Team work brings a new level of fulfillment to our lives and the lives of others. Working as a team in

task related environments could enhance the quality of our work and increase productivity. Share in a Small Group exercise (13 minutes) - As a final exercise Im going to ask you to get into groups of four or five with representation from each personality type in each group. Your group discussion will respond to statements or questions that relate to the important benefits of working together. For the sake of time Im going to help us form groups so that we can get as much diversity in the groups as possible. Will all the D types raise your hand? [Handout #7] - Whats Most Important in Working Together [Handout #8] Three Rs to Loving the Different Personality Types Assign the Ds to group 1, 2, 3 Do the same for the other personality types. Id suggest you assign the D person to be the group leader, or once everyone is assigned to a group have the person who got up earliest this morning be the leader and let them figure it out. If youre a D you can get them into groups in three minutes. Ask someone to pass out the handout. Ask them to stay in the room and quickly move into the exercise. Visit each group as an observer and listen in to their insights. As a group read the introduction of your handout which provides instructions. Youll have 10 minutes to respond to the four questions. [Overhead #5] - Concluding thought - Geese in Flight Story In closing Id like to share with you a story about geese flying in formation to illustrate the value and benefits of working together as a team. It has instructive lessons that we humans would do well to listen to. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird following it. By flying in a V formation, the flocks flying range is 71 percent greater than if each bird flew alone. Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are taking advantage of each others trust. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back in formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. Lesson: If were as smart as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. People, as well as geese, are interdependent with each other. The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging - not something less than helpful. When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out to formation and follow it down to protect it. They stay with it until it is either able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own, joining another formation or catching up with their flock. Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, well stand by each other like they do. Closing Prayer

Session IV Transformation Within Personality Styles

Aim: This session has a three-fold aim. 1. To identify how God transformed the personality types of four biblical characters. 2. To allow the participants time reflect on their overextended strengths and weakness limitations. 3. To create an environment where the participants are self-motivated to respond to Gods loving overture to transform them. Materials needed: Bibles, handouts, a blank note card for each person, cassette/CD player and a 10 minutes of quiet time background music of your choice (instrumental might be good to avoid being distracted by words. Recommendation - Power of Your Love by Hill Songs. A line from the lyrics - Lord Ive come to know the weaknesses I see in me, will be swept away by the Power of Your Love.) Time needed: sixty minutes - one hour Introductory Comments (5 minutes) At this point some of you are saying, I thought this was a Christian seminar! Though weve not talked much about God, be assured He has been helping us find out who we are. You may remember from the beginning that we are the pinnacle of Gods creation. The Psalmist reminds us that God knit me together in my mothers womb, that we are wonderfully complex and that Gods workmanship is marvelous. He also reminds us that God has a plan for our lives and by our responsiveness to His presence and leading the intended purposes of our lives will be reached. A key word here is responsiveness. The question is how does God use our personality to accomplish His intended purposes? And if Gods workmanship is so marvelous why would it need to be changed? God seems to love to create and transform. A sunflower seed is so small but grows into a huge beautiful flower, but it doesnt begin that way. A baby has all its parts and is a marvelous creation but it has to grow and learn, to crawl and walk and fall and get up, to learn not to be selfish and demanding, and ultimately to become mature physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Our personalities are similar in that we were born with seed qualities that form our personalities as we grow. Our responsiveness to Gods presence and leading enables transformation to occur within our perspectives, attitudes, desires and behaviors. His Spirit is influencing all these areas as He molds and makes us according to His will for our lives. Humans mature to a point without even being responsive to God. His grace after all is poured out on the just and the unjust. He gives many gifts prior to us recognizing their origin. But when, by His grace, we accept His offer of salvation it is not just for eternal life after we die, but for a new life - His life, to take up residence in us and transform us

into the likeness of His Son. The popular phrase, what would Jesus do? is better stated according to Dallas Willard, what would Jesus do if He were me? Jesus does not want to change our personalities completely, but rather transform them by: balancing our strengths so they dont become overextended, empowering us by His Spirit to turn our weaknesses into assets, filling us with His love through an ongoing intimate relationship so that His strength and power overcomes our fears.

God has been transforming people since the beginning of time in these very ways. He can and wants to do the same for each one of us. Transition statement - Im sure you believe that God has been effective at transforming His people over time, but I thought it would be helpful if we looked closely at several biblical characters who represent each of the personality types. This will help us see for ourselves how the changes took place in their lives. Rather than me telling you about them, Im going to have us form groups by the four basic personality types to do a case study using key Bible passages. [Handout #9] - Biblical Characters Transformation Case Study [Handout #10] A Look at the Four Personality Types Share in a Small Group exercise (25 minutes) Assuming you have a large enough group and that there are at least two people of each personality type, have the participants get into groups by personality type. If more than six of one type are present have them break into two groups (however each group will work on the same case study.) If you have less than 10 in attendance, with only a couple personality types, select just the biblical character case studies that correspond to their personality types. DO NOT TELL THEM THAT THE CASE STUDY YOURE GIVING THEM CORRESPONDS TO THEIR OWN PERSONALITY TYPE - APPEAR TO RANDOM ABOUT WHICH GROUP GETS WHICH HANDOUT (they will likely pick it up quickly). The D group receives the case study handout for Paul. The I group receives the case study handout for Peter. The S group receives the case study handout for Abraham. The C group receives the case study handout for Moses.

You will need your Bibles to look up the references and answer the questions on the handout. You will want to refer to your DiSC booklet sections which summarize the General Highlights of each personality type on page 7 and the Classical Profile Patterns on pages 14 - 19. As you read the biblical passages, look for behavior descriptions that match a personality type. Select a person in your group who will share the results with all of us following this exercise. Youll have 25 minutes to answer the case study questions. Visit the groups to be sure they understand how to find the answers. After 25 minutes, bring the group back together and have a representative from each group share their findings. Ask them to summarize their findings in 1 or 2 minutes. If there is more than

one group per personality type, select one spokesperson and suggest the other group leader fill in what may not have been covered. Share with whole group exercise - (10 minutes) Summary and transition statement - We are just like the biblical characters weve studied. We continually face life circumstances, which reveal the strengths and weaknesses of our personalities. We too need Gods transforming power to grow us and equip us for the tasks He has called us to do. So often we come to Christ with a specific need then after he has met our need we become comfortable and satisfied in our new position. Christ wants to do more than meet our needs; He wants to make us complete or wholly mature. If we are honest with God and ourselves we can see areas, however dimly, where we need to grow. Growth is Gods job - its called transformation. Our job is first to be honest about our limitations and weaknesses then be responsive to Gods molding and reshaping of perspectives, attitudes, wills and behaviors. Id like to allow you time to meditatively reflect on the areas where you need to grow. Would you take out the handout we completed earlier entitled, Reviewing my Behavioral Tendencies. Question two asked you to record one or two limitations and question four asked you to identify a way you could work towards improvement in your relating skills. Let these be a starting point for you as you spend this quiet time with God. After spending a few minutes in silent reflection would you write a note to God sharing the area of your life you sense the need for His loving hand to touch and guide you into a transforming experience with Him. Tell Him how you intend to be responsive and cooperative with Him so that His purposes are realized in your life. Keep the card in your Bible and refer to it occasionally as a reminder of how youve asked Him to work in you and what youve indicated you will be or do. [Handout - a blank Hallmark note card for each person] Personal Reflection Time - A Note to God (10 minutes) During the meditation time play background music that is appropriate for facilitating a quiet time with God. Share with neighbor exercise (5 minutes)- What have you learned today? As we draw our time to a close Id like you to spend five minutes with the partner youve shared with throughout the day so that each of you can share the most important thing you learned from our time together today. Indicate how you intend to move into your life this key idea or lesson. Ill call us back together in about five minutes for a final thought and closing prayer. Conclusion (5 minutes) Writers on the topic of behavioral styles of biblical characters suggest that Jesus had the strength of each personality type held in balance. That is, He knew who He was and what the environmental conditions were. With these two factors known, He chose the best behavior to meet the needs of each situation. The strongest motivation for Him was love for both God and others. The Father didnt love Jesus any more or less because of His good performance. But He was certainly pleased with the responsiveness of Jesus to

His will. Follow His example and learn day by day What Jesus would do if He were You. An unknown author has written: He loves you just the way you are today But much too much to let you stay that way. And when Hes changed your life from what it was before, He still wont love you one bit more. This is a wonderful word of acceptance and the best motivation for accepting, understanding and loving Him, others and ourselves. Lets Pray. Closing Prayer