How I Think About These Tools

I am not attached to any assessment.
I am attached to outcomes.

Sometimes DISC or Working Genius helps leaders and teams see what is getting in the way faster and more clearly. Sometimes it does not. When it does, we use it. When it doesn’t, we move on.

These tools are not a replacement for leadership judgment, experience, or accountability. They are lenses. They help us see the system more clearly so leaders can act with intention instead of guesswork.

DISC

DISC helps individuals and teams understand communication styles, stress responses, and how different approaches to work interact in real environments.

For leaders who value it, DISC provides a common language that reduces unnecessary friction and miscommunication.

For skeptics, DISC is simply a structured way to talk about observable behavior and working preferences without making it personal.

For those new to it, DISC helps answer practical questions like:

• Why does this conversation keep breaking down?

• Why do well-intended people keep missing each other?

• Why does stress change how we show up?

I use DISC to:

• Improve leader-to-team communication

• Reduce unnecessary conflict

• Clarify expectations and working styles

DISC can be used as a standalone engagement or integrated into coaching, workshops, or team development work.

Working Genius

Working Genius focuses less on personality and more on how work actually gets done.

It helps teams see where energy, frustration, and breakdowns tend to occur across the stages of work, from ideas to execution.

For teams that already value it, Working Genius provides clarity around roles and contribution.

For skeptics, it offers a practical way to talk about workflow gaps and frustration without blaming people.

For those new to it, it often explains why capable teams still feel stuck or burned out.

I use Working Genius to:

• Improve team effectiveness and collaboration

• Reduce friction and misalignment

• Help leaders place people in roles that fit how work actually flows

Working Genius can be used independently or as part of broader leadership and systems work.

How This Usually Works

Some organizations come in knowing exactly what tool they want.

Others are unsure and want to talk through the problem first.

Both are fine.

Sometimes these assessments are the right starting point. Sometimes they are part of a larger effort to improve leadership, communication, or execution. Sometimes they are not needed at all.

The tool is never the goal.
Clear leadership, better decisions, and healthier teams are.

A Note for Skeptics

If you have seen these tools misused before, you are not wrong.

They fail when they are treated as shortcuts, labels, or replacements for leadership responsibility. That is not how I use them.

We stay grounded in the work, the system, and the reality people are operating in. If a tool helps, we use it with discipline. If it doesn’t, we don’t force it.