Managing Different Personalities With DISC Framework

I’ve been hiring Filipino workers for years.

And I kept making the same mistake over and over.

I’d hire someone talented. Give them what I thought were clear instructions. Check in regularly. Do everything “right.”

And they’d either underperform or quit within a few months.

Then I’d hire someone else for the exact same role. Use the exact same management approach.

And they’d absolutely crush it.

Same role. Same instructions. Same me as the manager.

Completely different results.

For a long time, I thought it was just luck. Or that I was bad at screening candidates.

Turns out, I was managing everyone the exact same way.

That was the problem.

People Work Differently

There’s this framework called DISC that maps how people prefer to work.

Four basic types:

Dominance (D) – These people want results. They’re direct. They move fast. They need control over their work.

Influence (I) – They’re people-oriented. Energetic. They thrive on interaction and recognition.

Steadiness (S) – Reliable and patient. They value stability and personal connection.

Conscientiousness (C) – Detail-oriented. Analytical. They’re driven by quality and accuracy.

Most people are a mix. But everyone has dominant patterns.

And those patterns change everything about how they work.

Filipino Teams Are Different

Here’s what I’ve noticed working with Filipino professionals.

Many of them naturally lean toward Steadiness (S) profiles.

They value consistency. Loyalty. Personal connection in their work relationships.

This isn’t a weakness.

It’s actually what makes them so valuable when you manage them right.

High-S team members stick around long-term. They care about quality. They build genuine dedication to your goals.

But they need different management than someone who’s high in Dominance or Influence.

Miss this and you’ll see problems everywhere.

How to Manage High-D Team Members

These people want autonomy.

They get frustrated with constant check-ins. Long explanations. Endless process updates.

I learned this the hard way with a developer I hired.

Every day I’d message him asking for status updates. Explaining why we needed to do things a certain way. Keeping him in the loop on every decision.

He quit after two months.

He told me later: “I just wanted to know what you needed and be left alone to do it.”

Give high-D people clear objectives. The authority to make decisions. Room to execute their way.

When you give feedback, be direct. Focus on outcomes.

Don’t try to soften the message. They’ll respect you more for being straight with them.

Managing High-I Profiles

These folks need interaction and recognition.

Put them in isolation with only written communication and they lose motivation fast.

I had a customer service rep who was incredible on video calls with clients.

But I rarely talked to her directly. Just sent messages through our project management tool.

Her performance dropped. She seemed disconnected.

Schedule regular video calls with high-I team members. Celebrate their wins publicly. Give them opportunities to collaborate.

Let them be part of brainstorming sessions.

They perform better when they feel connected to the team’s energy.

Managing High-S Individuals

This is where most employers mess up with Filipino teams.

High-S people value stability and personal relationships.

Sudden changes create anxiety that kills their performance.

I once restructured a team without warning. Changed how we did project assignments. Introduced new tools all at once.

My high-S team members panicked. Performance dropped across the board.

What I should have done:

Give them advance notice of changes. Explain what’s happening and why. Give them time to process before implementing.

Build genuine rapport. Not just transactional communication.

When giving feedback, do it privately. Focus on how they can improve rather than what they did wrong.

Make it a conversation, not a lecture.

Regular one-on-ones aren’t optional with high-S team members. They’re essential.

Managing High-C Types

These team members want precision and logic.

Vague instructions frustrate them. Emotion-based decisions make no sense. Constant changes without clear reasoning stress them out.

I had a bookkeeper who kept asking for more details about every task.

At first, I thought she was being difficult.

Then I realized she just needed clarity to do her best work.

Give high-C people detailed information. Explain the reasoning behind your requests. Provide written documentation they can reference.

Create standard operating procedures.

They appreciate specific feedback backed by data. Delivered calmly without drama.

In technical roles, high-C profiles are invaluable when managed correctly.

Building Balanced Teams

The strongest teams aren’t filled with one type.

All high-D members? You’ll move fast but miss critical details.

All high-C? Thorough work, but you’ll struggle with quick pivots.

All high-I? Great ideas and energy, but terrible execution.

All high-S? Stability, but you’ll resist necessary changes until it’s too late.

Think about what each role actually needs.

Pair a high-D project lead with a high-C quality specialist. Balance a high-I client-facing role with high-S operational support.

Here’s something specific to Filipino teams: They often skew toward S and C profiles naturally.

To create balance, hire some D and I profiles to add energy and decisiveness. Or ensure your management style provides what’s missing.

If you’re naturally high-D, slow down and provide more stability for your team.

If you’re high-S, push yourself to make faster decisions.

Be intentional about it.

Using DISC to Manage Remote Teams

Start by understanding your own patterns.

Most managers assume everyone works like they do.

You can’t build effective systems until you see your own blind spots clearly.

Consider adding personality assessments to your hiring process. Not for evaluation. For team development.

Share results openly. Discuss how everyone can work together more effectively.

This creates permission for people to communicate their actual needs.

Instead of pretending to be something they’re not.

Adjust how you assign projects. Match people’s natural strengths to what the role actually requires.

And train yourself to shift your management style based on who you’re talking to.

Same results you want. Different path to get there depending on the person.

That’s what actually works.