Office Arrangement and Greeting Visitors

Understanding people is a subtle science. Even with great tools like DISC Assessments and Workplace Motivators at our disposal, it is not uncommon for there to be confusion about what is a behavioral style characteristic versus what is being driven by a motivator. Sometimes the symptoms can be very similar.

 

Let’s look at an example – Eric and Mary:

Both Eric and Mary appear to be very thoughtful and picky about how they have arranged their offices – so do you think they share the same DISC behavioral style? If something is moved out of place in either of their offices, it isn’t long before it is quickly put back exactly where it came from – do you think they are operating with the same Workplace Motivator? Let’s examine further and see if we can find out… One day, Eric visits Mary’s office. When he arrives, she drops everything she’s currently doing to give him a friendly handshake, invites him to make himself comfortable, and asks about several people she knows on the floor where Eric works. Despite Mary’s friendly banter, Eric feels compelled to tell Mary that she should move her desk so that she faces the door as it is proper procedure to first acknowledge a visitor at the door, then signal the person to enter, and finally to indicate which seat the visitor should take. Mary takes the comment in stride and remarks how nice it was for him to stop by while he was on her floor.

On another day, Mary stops by Eric’s office and finds him on the phone. He seems to be ignoring her until she knocks lightly on the open door. He then looks up, signals that he will be a moment, finishes his call, and then asks her what business has brought her to his office today. Rather than focusing on his question, she says that she thinks he should also rearrange his seating – his office has a beautiful view but the way his desk is arranged has his back is to the window and he can’t enjoy the beautiful view.

What’s going on here? Because of the similar situation of both having a carefully designed and arranged office, one might assume that both Eric and Mary share the same DISC style and the same motivator, but this is not the case.

 

Their DISC Styles

  • Eric’s formality with his coworker is a clue that his DISC style is a High C. He follows rules and procedures with rigidity and sees alternate arrangements of the office as breaking with decorum. Mary, on the other hand, is a High I. Her greeting is friendly, her conversational focus is on people, and she is willing to drop everything she is doing to welcome Eric when he arrives.

 

Their Workplace Motivators

  • Mary’s drive to be fastidious about her office decor comes from responding to her dominant motivator, a High Aesthetic. She’s meticulously arranged her office in the way that most satisfies her artistic sensibility and responds to other environments accordingly.
  • By contrast, Eric’s score shows a Low Aesthetic, he has completely ignored the beautiful view in planning his office arrangement.

 

In this example, opposing behavioral styles and motivators led to a similar, observable expression. This is why gaining insights into both DISC Behavior and Workplace Motivators is so valuable in bringing a greater clarity to interpersonal dynamics in the workplace. Often, sources of friction and other detriments to productivity can be difficult to diagnose without looking at both behavior and motivators. This knowledge can reduce the tension and conflict that arises when differences are seen as a problem and generates a lack of desire to work with the other person and give coworkers a higher appreciation for the value all styles and motivators bring to the team.

 

~ Inspired by the writing of Art Schoeck, our founder