Advertise on podcast: DISCy Chicks

Send us Fan Mail Thinking Skills — How Do You Think Your Way Through Work? In Episode 2, the DISCy Chicks take a closer look at the Thinking Skills domain of TTI’s DNA Competencies. We explore the seven competencies that help us understand how effectively people process information, learn, innovate, plan, solve problems, and make decisions—not how “smart” someone is. We break down Conceptual Thinking, Continuous Learning, Creativity & Innovation, Futuristic Thinking, Planning & Organizing, Problem Solving, and Tactical Thinking, with practical workplace examples and some important distinctions between competencies that can sound very similar. We also introduce the DNA Skills Crossover Matrix, which helps clarify where these competencies overlap—and where they are distinctly different. And, because we’re still the DISCy Chicks, we talk about how DISC behavioral styles may influence how we approach thinking, while DNA Competencies help us understand how effectively we demonstrate specific thinking skills. The big takeaway? A preference isn’t automatically a competency. Understanding the difference can give us a much clearer picture of ourselves and the people we work with.

Send us Fan Mail Season 9, Episode 1: A Fresh Look at Competencies Welcome to Season 9 of the DISCy Chicks! In our first episode, Cindy and Martha dive into the exciting updates to the TTI Success Insights competencies model. TTISI has reorganized its 23 competencies into three important domains: Working Skills, Thinking Skills, and Relationship Skills. We explore what these changes mean, why understanding competencies matters for personal and professional development.  We answer the questions How are Competencies different than DISC? and Which on is more important? Join us as we kick off a new season filled with practical insights, fresh perspectives, and plenty of DISC—and beyond! In this episode, you’ll learn: How the 23 competencies are organized into three domainsWhy competencies are important to workplace successWhat to expect from the DISCy Chicks in Season 9

Send us Fan Mail Episode 9: Beyond the Letters — Busting DISC Myths In this episode of DiscyChicks, we tackle some of the biggest misconceptions about DISC and why reducing people to a single letter misses the entire point. From “High Ds are bossy” to “High Ss avoid conflict,” we unpack the truths behind the stereotypes and explain how DISC is meant to create awareness—not excuses. We discuss: What DISC actually measuresWhy behavior is adaptive and situationalCommon myths about D, I, S, and C stylesHow labels can limit growth and damage communicationWhy flexibility is the real superpower of DISCKey takeaway: DISC should help us understand people better—not put them in boxes. “DISC doesn’t define you—but how you use it might.”

Send us Fan Mail Remote work didn’t create communication challenges—it magnified them. In this episode, the DISCy Chicks break down how each DISC style shows up in virtual meetings and why those differences matter more than ever. From D types who want to move fast and make decisions, to I types who bring energy and connection, to S styles who listen and support, and C styles who crave structure and clarity—everyone is approaching the same Zoom call from a completely different lens. We dig into how these differences can easily lead to misinterpretation. A D’s urgency can feel like impatience, an I’s enthusiasm can come across as interrupting, and an S’s quiet presence may be mistaken for disengagement. Meanwhile, C styles can become frustrated when meetings lack organization or clear outcomes. Without the visual and relational cues of in-person work, these gaps widen—and teams can start to feel disconnected or ineffective. The good news? A few intentional shifts can make a big difference. Clear agendas are a game-changer, helping C styles feel prepared, giving D styles a sense of efficiency, and creating space for I styles to connect and S styles to contribute. Strong facilitation also matters—balancing participation by drawing out quieter voices while keeping dominant personalities in check helps maintain both productivity and engagement. Ultimately, remote work requires more empathy and adaptability from everyone. When teams understand and respect different DISC styles, communication improves and collaboration becomes more natural. We also explore how technology—like meeting assistants and collaboration tools—can support better structure and follow-through, while still leaving room for the human connection that keeps teams thriving.

Send us Fan Mail Cindy and Martha give valuable insight into sales success with DISC Sales Strategy Using DISC This session centered on improving sales by matching communication styles with clients’ DISC profiles to build rapport and close deals effectively. Adapting Sales Style to Prospect’s DISC Profile Identifying DISC Styles through Communication CuesDistinct Sales Approaches for Each DISC Type Post-Sale Service Tailored to DISC Sales success extends into post-sale follow-up, which must also align with the client’s DISC style to maintain trust and satisfaction. Customized Follow-Up Strategies per DISC Profile Importance of Connection in Closing and Retention Common Sales Pitfalls by DISC Type Understanding typical mistakes sellers make helps avoid losing clients and improves sales effectiveness. Dominant Sellers’ Pitfalls Influence Sellers’ Pitfalls Steady Sellers’ PitfallsConscientious Sellers’ Pitfalls Overall Sales Philosophy and Key Takeaways The session concluded with reflections on effective sales communication and mindset shifts needed for success. Awareness Over Script Perfection Asking for the Sale Building Trust is Central

Send us Fan Mail Change is inevitable in organizations — new systems, reorganizations, leadership shifts, and strategic pivots all bring disruption. But the real challenge isn’t the change itself; it’s how differently people respond to it. In this episode of the DISCy Chicks podcast, Cindy and Martha explore why one employee may be excited about change while another feels anxious or resistant, and how DISC personality styles shape those reactions.    The conversation breaks down how each DISC style experiences change. Dominance (D) types tend to welcome fast movement and clear goals, while Influence (I) personalities focus on how change affects people and morale. Steadiness (S) styles often need time and reassurance as they process uncertainty, and Conscientiousness (C) styles want logic, details, and risk analysis before embracing a new direction. Understanding these differences helps leaders avoid common mistakes like over-communicating to one style while unintentionally leaving others behind.    Cindy and Martha also share practical ways to communicate change more effectively using a DISC-smart approach. Leaders should combine big-picture vision with concrete details, address both emotional and analytical concerns, and continue the conversation well after the initial announcement. The episode closes with rapid-fire takeaways reminding listeners that resistance is often just unmet needs in disguise—and that successful change happens when leaders learn to translate their message into every DISC language.

Send us Fan Mail Our focus is on managing up by understanding your boss' DISC style to improve communication and effectiveness. Communication Tactics are important. Tailor communication strategies for each style: focus on brevity for a Dominant, acknowledgment for Influence as they all about relationships, calmness for Steady, and precision for Compliant. Knowing your boss’s primary behavior style enables you to communicate more effectively with them. For example, let's say you are a Steady and your boss is a Dominant. These two styles are very different from one another. The differences can create communication issues between the two of you, if you don’t know about DISC and adapting your style to meet people where they are behaviorally. Being keenly self-aware of the impact you have on other people in your life and You will notice you are connecting and communicating well and getting things accomplished at work and at home! Watch the video on FaceBook: DISCyChicks Podcast

Send us Fan Mail  Boardroom Communication Strategy This podcast focuses on tailoring presentations to board members’ DISC styles to maximize engagement and approval. Cindy Jacoby and Martha Forlines recommend using a structured approach to pitching ideas by addressing the four DISC types—Dominant, Influencer, Steady, and Conscientious—ensuring each style’s priorities are met.Dominants want quick decisions, results, and options framed as risk-reward tradeoffs.Influencers respond to energetic, vision-driven messaging emphasizing buy-in and excitement.Steadies seek assurances of team support and low disruption during change.Conscientious members require detailed data, risk mitigation, and compliance evidence.This approach balances brevity and depth, avoiding overwhelming any one style while engaging all.Style by Style Experienced executives often embody high dominance and expect confident, bottom-line presentations that highlight fast impact and competitive advantage. Dominants prefer options with likelihood of success and cost implications clearly stated.Risk-reward framing resonates strongly with them, guiding swift decisions.They expect minimal storytelling but clear, actionable information.Influencers value dynamic, relational messaging focused on team and customer excitement to secure buy-in during boardroom pitches. Influencers want to visualize success with phrases like “our team is excited” or “this will boost our brand.”Presenters must energize the room without boring more results-focused members.Steady board members prioritize security, stability, and team impact, requiring reassurance about low-risk, smooth implementation. Use phrases such as “low disruption implementation” and “support through change” to gain their support. They typically avoid conflict but will engage if they feel the change benefits the team.They typically avoid conflict but will engage if they feel the change benefits the team.Conscientious members are risk-averse and detail-oriented, demanding thorough preparation and evidence of compliance and risk mitigation (35:34) They appreciate advanced access to materials for review before meetings.Presenters must be ready to answer detailed questions but avoid overloading the entire group with data.Demonstrating risk awareness and mitigation fosters their trust and buy-in. Successful boardroom communication requires adapting styles to audience composition and not relying solely on one’s personal approach. Build mini-presentations addressing each DISC type’s key concerns within a 10-minute pitch.Practice presentations to confidently vary tone and content.

Send us Fan Mail DISCy Chicks are wrapping up Day 2—and the final day—of TTISI Con 2026! 🎤✨ Coaches and consultants from all over gathered in Arizona, and we couldn’t resist capturing the energy, insights, and wisdom in a round of spontaneous hallway interviews. This special short cast gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the conversations that matter where we tackle the most egregious myths about the DISC assessment. Hit play and join us as we put our colleagues on the spot and close out an inspiring conference! #DISCassessment DISC Chicks Podcast with Video

Send us Fan Mail Listen in as Cindy and Martha explore Day 1 of the TTISICon 2026 in Phoenix,AZ. Enjoy their "man on the street" interview with some of their colleagues.  Enjoy this short recap of  Day !

Send us Fan Mail Can All Styles Effectively Lead ? Let’s begin with the Dominant style. Their behavior tends to be more aggressive in pursuing results. So, they're all business, more command and control with their teams. They have high expectations of their team members and hold them accountable for delivering results.    Let’s talk about the Influence Style. They tend to be very relationship-oriented, motivational, and inspirational with their team. They show their support and affirm a job well done. Challenges for this style include underperforming team members. Remember, this influencer likes to keep the peace with its team members.    The Steady Style is also relationship-oriented and takes a more gentle approach to how they manage others. The steady leader is more soft spoken, even handed with how they manage their people. Having constructive conversations may be a challenge for the high steady leader; however, if they are motivated to please their boss, and achieve their goals, they can deal with difficult conversations in a very empathetic way.   We now have the high compliant leader to discuss. The compliant leader is very detail-oriented, with perfectionistic tendencies. They are good at setting very specific goals and expect their team to meet them.  They have high expectations of themselves and transfer these expectations to their team members. Constructive conversations will likely be brief and to the point.    The DISCy Chicks agree that all styles can lead, understanding that each style leads differently! !

Send us Fan Mail Hiring for skills is easy. But hiring for fit for your team, the job, and the culture of your company is more difficult. Using the DISC assessment can enable you to make better decisions to avoid the high cost of turnover for your business. Some of the mistakes in hiring the wrong person for the role are hiring people that are too much like you, , ignoring the candidates soft skills, and favoring your best friend's relatives! The DISCy Chicks give you a quick review of DISC, for those of you joining for the first time. They also share the fact that the more diverse your DISC styles are on your team, the better. As each style approaches problem solving differently, which strengthens your team.  We always advocate hiring ethically, and each new person you hire will have their own strengths and weaknesses. We don't recommend you automatically give an assessment  every candidate that applies. Once you have narrowed your selection to your top two to three people, then have them take the assessment. Prepare for your interviews, consider how this person will integrate into your team, and design how you will onboard them, with their behavior styles in mind.  We share tips on asking appropriate questions for each for the predominant behavior styles.  Hiring for fit is not about eliminating people, but building balance in your selection process. You will find that by using the DISC assessment you will  complement skills with behaviors to strengthen your whole team.  https://DISCyChicks.com https://www.facebook.com/DISCyChicksPodcast

Send us Fan Mail The DISCy Chicks kick off Season 8 with a session on dealing with conflict. Hey, conflict is a normal in the workplace, so we thought we'd address it head on! Cindy and Martha started with a quick review of what DISC is for those listeners new to our favorite assessment.  We dive into styles that are basically opposite of one another, like a high Dominant and a high Steady. First of all pace is very different for that high dominant (fast paced) and the high Steady (slower paced). A high steady can feel very overwhelmed by how aggressive a Dominant can show up! The truth be known, a dominant typically does not adapt their style to the employees that are different from their own way of showing up! The high steady is very relationship oriented, while the dominant is not so much.  We then go to the high Influencer and the high Compliant, again two opposite styles. The high influencer is trying to get an employee to their point of view, talking and persuading. The high Compliant is looking for details, which is not a strong suit for an influencer. So basically they are not giving each other what they are wanting and needing. This definitely can become contentious!  Next, we discuss a high Influencer  and a high Steady. The good news is they are both relationship oriented; however their approaches are quite different. As you listen to our discussion,you will understand that the high Influencer energy can be too much for the high Steady pace and energy, resulting in conflict, which the Steady is not comfortable with. Next up is about how a high Dominant and a high Influencer communicate. The high Dominant is all about the results, and sees people as a means to an end for those results. The Influencer is more sensitive and wants to make sure the people are on board and have what they need to accomplish those results. These two styles have very different approaches to how they lead their team.  Lastly, we address the High Steady and the High Compliant. Their pace is very similar, and their approach to communication is different. The Compliant is looking for accuracy and perfection, and typically may not communicate their needs to others, as they tend to be more self-reliant. The high Steady is gentle and can be as thorough as the high Compliant, and the differentiator is they really care about their employees.  https://DISCyChicks.com https://www.facebook.com/DISCyChicksPodcast

Send us Fan Mail The Driving Forces Stress Responses The DISCy Chicks speak to how stress can affect each of us based on our primary motivators. Cindy and Martha have talked about the importance of understanding  what drives and motivates us in our personal and professional life. The six domains of the Driving Forces are as follows: Knowledge, Utility, Power, Methodologies, Surroundings, and Others. We encourage you to watch our video on Facebook or listen to our podcast at DISCYCHICKS.COM, as we cover a lot of ground in this recording. If we look at the domain of Knowledge, we share with you how those that have Intellectual as a one of their top two motivators, under stress they may tend to suffer from burnout because of their need to gather so much information, which can be stressful. The other Knowledge driving force is instinctive, which is to seek information when they need it. The stressor for people with this motivator is to feel overextended just to stay current with the information they need.  We break it down like this for the other five domains of Driving Forces. Remember, gaining more self- knowledge can enable you to better manage your stress in your personal and professional life. Come See Us! https://marthaforlines.com https://www.facebook.com/ExecutiveCoachMarthaForlines/ https://bizhelpconsulting.com https://www.facebook.com/BizHelpConsulting/

Send us Fan Mail In this week's  DISCy Chicks Podcast meeting, hosts Martha Forlines and CindyJacoby welcomed guest Karen Nutter, who shared her experience with using the DNA competencies for job benchmarking to hire the best candidates, as well as succession planning. Karen shared the experience she has had in identifying someone to be a successor for her own business. One insight she had was that she and her successor complement each other really well.  The main focus of the podcast is succession planning, where Karen emphasized the significance of TTI assessments and competencies in hiring and coaching, providing insights from her own experiences. The discussion also introduced Karen's Problem Solving Checklist tool, highlighting its application for coaching and client acquisition while stressing the importance of understanding driving forces for job satisfaction and for a good fit for the role her clients are trying to fill. DISCyChick Podcast Video on FaceBook DISCyChicks.com BizHelp Consulting- Cindy Jacoby Martha Forlines Karen Nutter- CBK Advising