Each of us has a comfortable, natural way of behaving and communicating with others and ourselves. Knowing your style helps you capitalize on your strengths and minimize your limitations. Knowing that same information about others increases your effectiveness interpersonally as it reduces conflict and improves relationships.

Understanding your style also will guide you in your decision whether to self-publish and self-market your book. All styles can do so successfully; however, each has certain natural strengths and limitations that need to be recognized and handled. It can be beneficial to enlist support and help in the areas you are least comfortable with or to know you need to take a deep breath and go ahead on your own. Become familiar with what behaviors in what situations help you accomplish your bottom line.

Knowing this information about others you involve in the process – editor, designer, printer, illustrator, financial backer, spouse or partner – can help you accomplish your results in a more orderly, relaxed, efficient and effective way.

The four styles are described below. This adaptation is based on the popular DiSC Classic Personal Profile System.®* Read the characteristics of each and decide your most predominant style(s) – capitalizing on your natural strengths in self-publishing. Become aware of your limitations and focus on how you can turn them into assets. Review the advantages of the other styles to see which ones you can comfortably add to your repertoire and which you may be better off hiring to bring your project to fruition. While you are a combination of all the styles; generally, you favor one or more of them as your most preferred and natural response to your environment.

If you choose, you can further refine your style by taking the DISC assessment tool online at www.duoforce.com/ldb/pps2800.htm. Cost is $25.

Relating Styles to Self-Publishing

Dominance

Characteristics: Blunt, change agent, competitive, decisive, determined, directing, fearless, impatient, independent, practical, pushy, risk taker, self-confident, self-starter, strong-willed, task-oriented, tough

Advantages:

· Sees it as a challenge … and they love challenges!
· Likes the authority, control and responsibility

· Satisfies high-ego need
· Takes bull by the horns and charges ahea
· Wants to make own decisions
· Likes to direct and lead others
· Loves to overcome any odds
· Wants to retain own words and title

Disadvantages:
· Dislike details – may have difficulty seeing the project through
· May become aggressive and unbending under pressure
· Verbalizes directly and bluntly – others may see it as “attacking”
· Criticizes others when things move too slowly
· Wants what they want when they want it – usually yesterday
· Sometimes forgets they need others’ help
· Becomes defensive when editor makes changes

Influencing

Characteristics: Articulate, disorganized, emotional, energetic, enthusiastic, excitable, impulsive, manipulative, optimistic, people-oriented, persuasive, social, spontaneous, talkative, trusting, unstructured, untiring, vain

Advantages:
· Likes the glory and recognition it will bring
· Relishes the opportunity to tell others about what they did
· Promotes and publicizes with ease
· Has lots of vignettes to include
· Believes it will happen
· Persuades others to help out
· Gets really turned on –

Disadvantages:
· May lose interest before project is completed
· Overestimates ease and underestimates cost of project
· “Explodes” or “falls apart” if roadblocks develop
· Talks about what has to be done rather than doing it
· Bases decisions on emotion rather than logic
· Dislikes tedious research and verification of facts
· Tends to be verbose … can benefit from an editor
· Over buys and has basement full of product

Steadiness

Characteristics: Agreeable, amicable, contented, cooperative, dependable, follower, genuine, insecure, people-oriented, predictable, reserved, sensitive, structured, supportive, unsure, warm

Advantages:
· Stresses harmonious working relationship
· Prides themselves in being organized/methodical
· Appreciates help from support team
· Pays attention to details
· Seldom loses cool
· Establishes trust easily

Disadvantages:
· Prefers to follow rather than lead
· May get caught up in details and methodology
· Needs time to adjust to changes and delays; needs plan with “adjustment” time built in
· Tolerates even when they disagree – can lead to disappointment with final product
· Functions best as member of a team rather than on own
· Dislikes being on center stage – does better in background
· Would rather help write marketing plan then implement it
· Has difficulty seeing the big picture

Conscientiousness

Characteristics: Accurate, analytical, autonomous, careful, cautious, composed, critical, judgmental, perfectionist, persistent, picky, precise, private, reserved, restrained, sarcastic, stoic, stuffy, task-oriented

Advantages:
· Likes to work alone
· Emphasizes accuracy and correctness
· Organizes well
· Enjoys research and fact-finding
· Has a long-term plan – makes sure everything fits into it
· Enjoys product fulfillment, e.g., finding correct size containers, etc.

Disadvantages:
· Strives for perfection – project may never reach fruition
· Tends to over research and then wants to use all the information
· Criticizes when things not done to their high standards
· Dislikes promotional activities and events – public speaking, being on center stage
· Fears being quoted incorrectly and may shun interviews or make same point over and over in different ways
· Becomes defensive with an editor; however may need nudge to move forward

* Registered mark of Inscape Publishing Co.

© 2005. Lillian D. Bjorseth

Reprint rights must include © Lillian D. Bjorseth, business networking, business development, communication skills speaker, trainer, author. www.duoforce.com, lillian@duoforce.com

A client said Lillian D. Bjorseth could read the IRS tax code and make it interesting. Imagine what she does with business networking, business development and communication skills! She combines her natural enthusiasm, poise, confidence and Fortune 100 and entrepreneurial experience to educate, entertain and fire up your participants.

Called a networking expert by the Chicago Tribune and the business networking authority by the Association Forum of Chicagoland, Lillian is known for helping you work an event, not just a room.

Lillian is among the first in the world to earn a Certified DiSC® Trainer designation from Inscape Publishing and is also an authority at preparing customized applications for your boards of directors, employees, management and sales staffs to improve communication, productivity and profitability.

She's author of “Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last;” “52 Ways to Break the Ice & Target Your Market;” and the “Nothing Happens Until We Communicate” CD/workbook series. She’s a contributing author to “Masters of Networking.”

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