Managing
Time with Style by Mary Crane Mary Crane & Associates
For many years, I’ve used the DISC assessment tool to help new and established professionals understand and flex to the behaviors that they observe at work. I think it’s an invaluable tool that can help new professionals understand why one person with whom they work wants bottom-line answers while another needs a mountain of back-up information. DISC can also be used to help people understand their personal time management challenges. Below I’ve provided some basic information about each of the four behavioral styles and some time management strategies suitable to each.
DRIVE STYLE
People with this behavioral style preference are independent, like being in control (if you don’t place them in charge of a project, they’ll take charge of it anyway), and prefer quick action. They are
extremely goal-oriented and oftentimes live and die by their to-do lists. If this is your preferred behavioral style: Prioritizing tasks: Identifying and prioritizing tasks is second nature to you. You would benefit by periodically stepping back to refocus on big picture issues. Managing your email inbox: You are driven to accomplish things. Try setting a stopwatch every two hours during which time you delete emails that you don’t need to retain. Also, consider setting a goal for the maximum number of emails that you do retain.
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pad or lined journal for this purpose. Electronic to-do lists offer you the benefit of being able to back up your to-do list to a cloud storage system.
INNOVATE STYLE
People with this behavioral style preference are enthusiastic and gregarious. They easily imagine a bigger and better tomorrow. They tend to be extremely creative. Routine and inflexibility drive them up a wall. (Avoid telling this person, “You need to do it this way, because it’s the way we’ve always done things here.”) If this is your preferred behavioral style:
Contributing to meetings: You bring to meetings a desire to know how suggestions and strategies will be implemented. You drive everyone to agree to specific due dates.
Prioritizing tasks: You love to engage in “big picture” thinking, and many view you as visionary. Set aside some time each day to shift from the “big picture” to discreet outcomes that you need to achieve.
Low tech/High tech tools that work for you: You already live and die by your to-do list, and you’re happy using a legal
Managing your email inbox: You are naturally drawn to new ideas and connections, and you know that every
The Arkansas Banker | October 2017
