Challenger

Strengths

• Result-oriented, efficient workers.
• Focused on the details, very analytical.
• Strive to continuously better themselves as workers, high-achievers.
• Sets realistic goals.
• Invested in the improvement of their workplace.
• Work well on their own without need for much oversight.

Weaknesses

• Struggle to take risks, prefer to play it safe.
• Find it difficult to break tradition.
• Prefer leadership positions; less effective in subordinate roles.
• Desire for factual information; has a hard time thinking more emotionally.
• Need to constantly feel their work is important.

Decision Making

• Spends time studying facts and details before making important decisions.
• Struggle to make decisions cooperatively.
• High standards that make it difficult to compromise.
• Find it unnecessary to communicate their decision to others before acting.

Unhealthy Adaptations

• Becoming frustrated or angry if they do not achieve their goals on the first attempt.
• Dismissing the emotions of others and focusing purely on the facts.
• Unwilling to compromise on their ideals; naturally stubborn.
• Reacting too quickly to poor results and not taking time to think about what may have gone wrong.

Recommendations for DCs

• Focusing on listening to others and taking their feelings into account.
• Looking for ways to bring happiness into their lives outside of the workplace.
• Trying to include their own emotions into their communication.
• Understanding who they are talking to, and how to change your conversation style to fit that person’s emotional wants.

DCs are focused workers who love to set and meet deadlines. As such, they make strong leaders in process-driven environments where they can oversee project plans and ensure all team members are performing on-time and on-budget. They can be demanding and direct, and have high expectations for their coworkers.

Potential Leadership Strengths

• Always searching for ways to improve the efficiency of team members.
• Able to recognize those who are performing well.
• Successful at understanding the weaknesses of team members and how to best utilize them.
• Usually willing to take responsibility for the results the team produces.

Potential Leadership Weaknesses

• Can become too involved in the work of those around them.
• Naturally impatient; need those around them to work at their pace.
• Very critical of those who struggle with a task they were assigned.
• Inflexible on how things should be done — it is their way or the highway.
• Implement their ideas rapidly, usually without warning to those around them.

DCs work best independently. Managers would do well to give them tasks that they can work on autonomously, with clear directions, processes, and deadlines. When communicating with DCs, use rational, straight-forward language and reasoning, as DCs will respond well to clear instructions and tangible next steps.

Strategies for Influencing DCs

• Provide them with a clear timeline and expectation.
• Show appreciation for their work and provide them with opportunities for advancement.
• Allow them to work on short-term projects with tangible goals.
• Communicate to them using logic, details and facts; avoid emotionally charged arguments.
• Refer to outlined goals and results when providing critique.

Creating the Ideal Environment for DCs

• Allowing them to work mostly independently.
• Avoid going to them, allow them to come to you with questions or considerations.
• When they need to work cooperatively, pair them with strong communicators.
• Give them meaningful responsibilities in the workplace.
• Provide them with a space where they can freely share ideas.

Things to Avoid when Managing DCs

• Avoid direct critique of their workstyle.
• Give them intellectually challenging work rather than a laundry list of tasks.
• Allow them to see a project through before reassigning them.

DCs Communication Style

• Communicates clearly and supports points with evidence.
• Strong command of language makes them precise conversationalists.
• Find it challenging to express emotions.
• Combative and stubborn if they feel they are being challenged.
• Willing to stand up for themselves if they feel they are being unfairly criticized.

Strategies for Communicating With DCs

• Ensure conversations remain focused on the subject at hand.
• Avoid idle chatter, as a DC may feel you are wasting their time.
• Communicate in a factual manner as opposed to an emotional one.
• Be explicit and direct during conversation.
• Don’t allow the DC to use facts to invalidate opinions during a discussion.
• Aim to be solution-oriented.