As the newest member of the Executive Leadership Team for Go Red for Women, part of the American Heart Association, one of the most resounding messages I have heard is their Know Your Numbers campaign. Did you know that every 80 seconds, a woman dies from cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet, 80 percent of CVD may be preventable? The Know Your Numbers campaign encourages people to know their total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index (BMI) to more deeply understand their current health and their risk of heart disease. This knowledge provides individuals the opportunity to take action to get – or stay – healthy. It allows people to know where their biggest risk factors lie and to make different lifestyle choices to mitigate their risks where possible. Knowledge of your numbers puts the power to make different and better decisions in your own hands.
It struck me, the other day, that knowing your health numbers is very similar to knowing your Talent Insights (DISC and Driving Forces) numbers. How high is our “D”? How low is our “S”? How strong is your Commanding driving force? Understanding your communication style and how that effects your interactions with others, gives you the power to make different and better communication and leadership decisions every day. Understanding the value you bring to your team, how your behavioral style impacts those around you, combined with what drives and motivates you is as powerful to our professional lives as knowing your health numbers is to your personal life. Only when you Know Your Numbers and what they mean, can you take informed action to be healthy both personally and professionally.
If you know that your cholesterol number is higher than is ideal, you can work with your doctors and correct your eating and exercise habits to help make an improvement on that number. The same can be said about your DISC and Driving forces. If you know that your “High I” can lead you to avoiding the necessary yet difficult conversation with your superior, or perhaps, spending too much time talking in meetings instead of listening, you can work to improve in those areas. Asking a coach or mentor to help you practice that difficult conversation and then actually having it, or taking a 30-second pause before walking into a meeting to remind yourself to ask questions and listen to understand the view of others in the room can be great ways to mitigate those risks. Your DISC and Driving Forces numbers work as a guide post to understand ourselves at a deeper level and to use them to course-correct behavior that can be limiting and disruptive to our intended paths.
As we all know, knowledge is power. If you don’t Know your Numbers the American Heart Association is a great place to get information to then discuss with your doctor. If you don’t know your DISC and Driving Forces numbers, Bluewater is an excellent resource to help you and your team more fully understanding your numbers so you and your team can work at your highest and best opportunity. Talk to us today to help ensure you know your numbers!
Lindsey Weigle, Partner