“A fully grown tree cannot be bent into a walking stick”
~ Kenyan Proverb
“He who cannot dance will say, “the drum is bad”.
~ Ghanaian Proverb

On June 2–3, 2025, I had the opportunity to participate in a highly insightful two-day session led by Shirley Smith-Crews of Learning Alliances, LLC on “Transforming the Workplace: Enhancing Your Style at Work.” The workshop was not just another professional development session—it became a personal turning point, particularly in how I understand myself and engage with others at work.

The Case Study That Set the Tone
We began with a compelling case study titled “The Case of the Broken Seatbelt,” a quality management scenario involving a tragic accident caused by a chain of avoidable mistakes. Each character’s error was influenced—directly or indirectly—by someone else’s action or inaction. While we analyzed the case individually and in groups to determine who bore the greatest blame, the real takeaway for me was how differently we each perceived the same situation. Our varied responses revealed just how deeply our beliefs, experiences, and personal styles shape our interpretations and decisions.

DiSC and the Foundation of Workplace Style
Following the case study, the facilitator introduced us to the DiSC Assessment tool, a framework designed to help individuals identify their natural management and interpersonal styles and improve their relationships at work. The DiSC model is anchored on five foundational principles:
a) Using DiSC improves workplace relationships, enabling more effective collaboration and communication.
b) All DiSC styles and priorities are equally valuable, and everyone is a blend of all four styles.
c) Your work style is influenced by multiple factors, including life experiences, education, and maturity.
d) Understanding yourself better is the first step to becoming more effective when working with others.
e) Learning about other people’s DiSC styles helps you understand their priorities and how they may differ from your own. Recognizing body language (7%), tone of voice (38%), and word choice (55%) plays a key role in this.

Discovering My DiSC Style

The heart of the session centered on the DiSC Workplace Assessment—an eye-opening tool that reveals one’s natural work style. We explored how workplace behaviors and preferences fall along two axes: Action vs. Reliability and Challenge vs. Collaboration, resulting in four key styles:

• Dominance (D) – Direct, firm, strong-willed, forceful, results-oriented
• Influence (I) – Outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic, high-spirited, lively
• Steadiness (S) – Even-tempered, accommodating, patient, humble, tactful
• Conscientiousness (C) – Analytical, reserved, precise, private, systematic

When I received my results, I discovered I was a strong S (Steadiness/Support) type. At first, I interpreted this as a limitation—especially in a world that often values speed, assertiveness, and individualism. Many of the traits associated with the S style—patience, a desire for harmony, reluctance to say “no,” or discomfort with conflict—felt more like vulnerabilities than strengths.
However, as I delved deeper, I realized that these qualities are powerful assets when properly managed. Being a dependable team player, a calm presence in turbulent situations, and someone who values collaboration and stability is not weakness—it’s leadership through empathy.
Several of the S-style characteristics were a striking reflection of my personality:

• I’m cooperative and take pride in contributing to team efforts. I’m often quick to share credit.
• I’m accommodating and tend to cater to others, sometimes struggling to say “no.”
• I have a strong desire for harmony, which makes conflict uncomfortable and difficult.
• I prefer to work behind the scenes, and while I appreciate recognition, I shy away from public praise.
• I hold myself to high standards and can take criticism very hard.
• I tend to downplay my achievements, which may cause others to overlook my contributions.
• I try to stay open-minded and supportive of others’ ideas, even when they fall short.
• I prefer clear expectations and stable environments and tend to avoid taking unnecessary risks.

These traits resonated so much with me that for many years I had wanted to change my persona. The world often seems to reward louder voices, quick decisions, and assertiveness—qualities that appear incompatible with my S-style nature. I’ve seen people take advantage of my quietness and accommodating nature. I remember how shyness once made me a target, and though I’ve since grown more confident, I still carried the desire to become someone “different.”
The DiSC training challenged this mindset. It showed me that I didn’t need to change who I am—I needed to adapt. Attempting to change my core traits would likely feel inauthentic and unsustainable. As I reflected, I realized that the popular mantra, “fake it to become it,” may lead us down a path of self-alienation. Growth does not come from faking—it comes from understanding, adapting, and refining.

Recognizing Stressors and My Response
The assessment also identified common stressors for people with the S style. Many of them resonated with me:

• Dealing with angry, pushy, or argumentative people – Definitely a stressor.
• Working under pressure – I partly disagreed with this because a lot of my work experience has required managing pressure effectively.
• Making forced decisions – Somewhat uncomfortable, but I’ve managed.
• Working without clear guidelines – I disagreed with this one because I have always managed well under such conditions, which are quite frequent in my work life.
• Giving negative feedback – A consistent challenge for me.
• Being insistent with others – Difficult, especially when it may strain relationships.
• Working in a chaotic environment – I find this stressful and unproductive.
• Taking risks – I tend to be quite hesitant in taking risks.
• Having to argue for my point of view – I make an attempt but give in too quickly when I see that the other party is definitely not going to see things from my point of view.

These responses helped me acknowledge both my limitations and strengths more fully. While I may not thrive in certain high-conflict or fast-paced environments, I bring a valuable balance of support, consistency, and collaboration that is just as vital.

Learning to Work Across Styles
Group work played a pivotal role in reinforcing these lessons. We were grouped according to our DiSC styles and tasked with understanding how other styles perceived us and how we could better relate to them. It was fascinating and, at times, humbling.

Here are a few takeaways I noted:

• Working with Dominant (D) types: They value results, prioritize action and challenge. I must be assertive, speak up early, and avoid yielding just for the sake of peace—something I usually do. As I think about this group, and scanning through my institution, I see quite a few of them. I see this as a herculean task, because these group of people are a mix of several other things I am unable to place a finger on. This will be challenging for me, but I’m willing to try.
• Working with Influence (I) types: Their enthusiasm and openness align well with my temperament, but I need to be more direct and address issues head-on.
• Working with other Support (S) types: While collaboration is easy, we may avoid difficult conversations. I need to be intentional about expressing concerns.

Working with Conscientious (C) types: I need to meet their need for logic, precision, and independence, and not shy away from clearly articulating my needs.

Final Reflections

This training did more than assign me a label—it reshaped how I view interpersonal dynamics at work. I now see my strengths more clearly and have concrete strategies to adapt when working with different personalities. Group discussions, shared reflections, and mutual exploration made this training a powerful collective learning experience.
Most importantly, I’ve come to understand that enhancing your workplace style isn’t about becoming someone else—it’s about deepening your understanding of yourself and using that knowledge to build meaningful, effective relationships with others.
As I return to my team, I am eager to share these lessons. I’m better equipped to engage, collaborate, and lead—not despite my natural style, but because of it.

By:
Donus W. Buadi
Mortenson Associate 2025
Ghana