DISCy Chicks

Cindy Jacoby and Martha Forlines

We are two chicks that focus our business around the DISC communications assessment in the workplace for coaching, hiring, teaming, personal development and more. We want to teach YOU to understand the benefits of using DISC in your workplace too.

  1. JAN 27

    Board Room Effectiveness using DISC Principles

    Send us a text  Boardroom Communication Strategy This podcast focuses on tailoring presentations to board members’ DISC styles to maximize engagement and approval. Cindy Jacoby and Martha Forlines recommend using a structured approach to pitching ideas by addressing the four DISC types—Dominant, Influencer, Steady, and Conscientious—ensuring each style’s priorities are met.Dominants want quick decisions, results, and options framed as risk-reward tradeoffs.Influencers respond to energetic, vision-driven messaging emphasizing buy-in and excitement.Steadies seek assurances of team support and low disruption during change.Conscientious members require detailed data, risk mitigation, and compliance evidence.This approach balances brevity and depth, avoiding overwhelming any one style while engaging all.Style by Style Experienced executives often embody high dominance and expect confident, bottom-line presentations that highlight fast impact and competitive advantage. Dominants prefer options with likelihood of success and cost implications clearly stated.Risk-reward framing resonates strongly with them, guiding swift decisions.They expect minimal storytelling but clear, actionable information.Influencers value dynamic, relational messaging focused on team and customer excitement to secure buy-in during boardroom pitches. Influencers want to visualize success with phrases like “our team is excited” or “this will boost our brand.”Presenters must energize the room without boring more results-focused members.Steady board members prioritize security, stability, and team impact, requiring reassurance about low-risk, smooth implementation. Use phrases such as “low disruption implementation” and “support through change” to gain their support. They typically avoid conflict but will engage if they feel the change benefits the team.They typically avoid conflict but will engage if they feel the change benefits the team.Conscientious members are risk-averse and detail-oriented, demanding thorough preparation and evidence of compliance and risk mitigation (35:34) They appreciate advanced access to materials for review before meetings.Presenters must be ready to answer detailed questions but avoid overloading the entire group with data.Demonstrating risk awareness and mitigation fosters their trust and buy-in. Successful boardroom communication requires adapting styles to audience composition and not relying solely on one’s personal approach. Build mini-presentations addressing each DISC type’s key concerns within a 10-minute pitch.Practice presentations to confidently vary tone and content.

    24 min
  2. JAN 14

    Can all Styles Effectively Lead?

    Send us a text Can All Styles Effectively Lead ? Let’s begin with the Dominant style. Their behavior tends to be more aggressive in pursuing results. So, they're all business, more command and control with their teams. They have high expectations of their team members and hold them accountable for delivering results.    Let’s talk about the Influence Style. They tend to be very relationship-oriented, motivational, and inspirational with their team. They show their support and affirm a job well done. Challenges for this style include underperforming team members. Remember, this influencer likes to keep the peace with its team members.    The Steady Style is also relationship-oriented and takes a more gentle approach to how they manage others. The steady leader is more soft spoken, even handed with how they manage their people. Having constructive conversations may be a challenge for the high steady leader; however, if they are motivated to please their boss, and achieve their goals, they can deal with difficult conversations in a very empathetic way.   We now have the high compliant leader to discuss. The compliant leader is very detail-oriented, with perfectionistic tendencies. They are good at setting very specific goals and expect their team to meet them.  They have high expectations of themselves and transfer these expectations to their team members. Constructive conversations will likely be brief and to the point.    The DISCy Chicks agree that all styles can lead, understanding that each style leads differently! !

    31 min
  3. 11/13/2025

    Hiring for Fit with DISC

    Send us a text Hiring for skills is easy. But hiring for fit for your team, the job, and the culture of your company is more difficult. Using the DISC assessment can enable you to make better decisions to avoid the high cost of turnover for your business. Some of the mistakes in hiring the wrong person for the role are hiring people that are too much like you, , ignoring the candidates soft skills, and favoring your best friend's relatives! The DISCy Chicks give you a quick review of DISC, for those of you joining for the first time. They also share the fact that the more diverse your DISC styles are on your team, the better. As each style approaches problem solving differently, which strengthens your team.  We always advocate hiring ethically, and each new person you hire will have their own strengths and weaknesses. We don't recommend you automatically give an assessment  every candidate that applies. Once you have narrowed your selection to your top two to three people, then have them take the assessment. Prepare for your interviews, consider how this person will integrate into your team, and design how you will onboard them, with their behavior styles in mind.  We share tips on asking appropriate questions for each for the predominant behavior styles.  Hiring for fit is not about eliminating people, but building balance in your selection process. You will find that by using the DISC assessment you will  complement skills with behaviors to strengthen your whole team.  https://DISCyChicks.com https://www.facebook.com/DISCyChicksPodcast

    30 min
  4. 09/24/2025

    When Styles Collide: Turning Workplace Conflict Into Collaboration

    Send us a text The DISCy Chicks kick off Season 8 with a session on dealing with conflict. Hey, conflict is a normal in the workplace, so we thought we'd address it head on! Cindy and Martha started with a quick review of what DISC is for those listeners new to our favorite assessment.  We dive into styles that are basically opposite of one another, like a high Dominant and a high Steady. First of all pace is very different for that high dominant (fast paced) and the high Steady (slower paced). A high steady can feel very overwhelmed by how aggressive a Dominant can show up! The truth be known, a dominant typically does not adapt their style to the employees that are different from their own way of showing up! The high steady is very relationship oriented, while the dominant is not so much.  We then go to the high Influencer and the high Compliant, again two opposite styles. The high influencer is trying to get an employee to their point of view, talking and persuading. The high Compliant is looking for details, which is not a strong suit for an influencer. So basically they are not giving each other what they are wanting and needing. This definitely can become contentious!  Next, we discuss a high Influencer  and a high Steady. The good news is they are both relationship oriented; however their approaches are quite different. As you listen to our discussion,you will understand that the high Influencer energy can be too much for the high Steady pace and energy, resulting in conflict, which the Steady is not comfortable with. Next up is about how a high Dominant and a high Influencer communicate. The high Dominant is all about the results, and sees people as a means to an end for those results. The Influencer is more sensitive and wants to make sure the people are on board and have what they need to accomplish those results. These two styles have very different approaches to how they lead their team.  Lastly, we address the High Steady and the High Compliant. Their pace is very similar, and their approach to communication is different. The Compliant is looking for accuracy and perfection, and typically may not communicate their needs to others, as they tend to be more self-reliant. The high Steady is gentle and can be as thorough as the high Compliant, and the differentiator is they really care about their employees.  https://DISCyChicks.com https://www.facebook.com/DISCyChicksPodcast

    29 min

About

We are two chicks that focus our business around the DISC communications assessment in the workplace for coaching, hiring, teaming, personal development and more. We want to teach YOU to understand the benefits of using DISC in your workplace too.