Traditionally seen as a communication and team development tool, DISC Advanced® is now increasingly being adopted by our clients to improve safety culture. By understanding their own and others’ behavioural styles (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance), leaders can better anticipate reactions to risk, safety procedures, and team dynamics under pressure. This year I’ve been running regular workshops catered towards those who are intrigued with using DISC Advanced ® to influence safety behaviour in the workplace.
Behaviour Impacts Safety Decisions
In my latest workshop we explored real-world safety scenarios and how each DISC type may respond in different situations, such as pre-starts, permits, or being an Upstander or a Bystander.
For example:
- D leaders may push past checks for the sake of speed.
- I types might skip steps with optimism.
- S types may hesitate or remain silent in risky situations.
- C types may delay action due to a need for more information.
Recognising these tendencies is the first step in coaching safer responses.
Personalities Influence Safety Culture
The workshop highlighted how personality preferences influence not only communication but also safety, such as the courage to speak up, and how teams either uphold or challenge unsafe norms.
A key insight I shared is that over 80% of the population identifies with introverted personality styles, meaning that speaking up in high-pressure situations will require extra effort in fostering psychological safety and support from leaders.
Here are some questions that were asked by the participants during the workshop:
Q: Can DISC be used with teams, or just leaders?
A: We recommend a blended approach. Start with leader-specific learning and follow up with team workshops and in-field coaching. When teams explore their DISC profiles together, it creates a shared language, improves collaboration, and fosters awareness of how group dynamics impact safety outcomes.
Q: What are the top 3 things organisations can do?
A: Foster curiosity about people’s preferences and needs. Normalise learning about personality diversity—make it a regular, safe part of development by linking personality strengths and challenges to real-life safety examples. Make time to reflect on how teams work together and recognise when someone steps outside their comfort zone.
Q: How can DISC support people speaking up?
A: Leaders must recognise that speaking up is harder for some. Proactively checking in 1:1 (especially with introverts) and creating moments of low-pressure dialogue is key to building psychological safety.
Q: We’ve used DISC before, we didn’t connect it to safety?
A: That’s a common situation. DISC offers a broader lens than many realise. When we explore behaviour through the safety lens, how we speak up, make decisions, and react to risks we unlock new insights into how culture is shaped.
At Barclayss® we’re proud to be the exclusive providers of the DISC Advanced® Safety Assessment. Learn more here:
