#7: How to Communicate with a High I

In this episode, Deanna provides provides insight into how to best communicate with someone who has a high I profile on the DISC assessment.  Specifically, she shares how you can identify if you’re interacting with an I,  what their qualities are, what value they bring to the team, and how to best communicate for results. 

Episode Highlights: 

  1. Understand how to identify I behaviors
  2. Learn what strengths and weaknesses I’s bring to a team
  3. Understand how the I’s may show up in conflict
  4. Learn tangible ideas of  how to communicate with an I

    Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

     

    • Take the What’s Your Leadership Genius Quiz HERE
    • Join the Leading by Type Facebook Community HERE
    • Connect with Deanna on Instagram HERE
    Episode 7 Transcript

    DEANNA PECINA: I’s talk about people and they focus more on people than on tasks, and they’re not afraid to show emotions because it’s a way for them to be able to connect with other people. When we look at the overall characteristics of an I, I’s are very influencing.

    They seek recognition. They’re really, really good at persuading and entertaining and showing enthusiasm. And this way I’s make really good sales people because they can connect with others so easily. They, again, they have this charisma that just draws people in. 

    INTRO: Welcome to the Leading by Type podcast. I’m Deanna Pecina, former school administrator, turned any enneagram practitioner and DISC consultant, and I’m obsessed with all things leadership and learning. I hope you’ll join me each week as we have conversations about communication, team building, and embracing your leadership genius.

    DEANNA: Well, hey there, friends. Welcome to episode seven of the Leading By Type Podcast. Today we’re going to focus on how to communicate with a high I on the DISC profile. This is the second episode in a series of four where we’re going to be looking at how to communicate with each of the specific DISC profile types.

    If you missed last week’s episode on how to communicate with a high D, you might wanna go back and listen to that one first and then come and jump into today’s episode. Today we’re specifically going to look at how you can identify if you’re interacting with an. , what their qualities are, what value they bring to a team, and how best to communicate with them to get.

    So if you think back to the analogy that I shared last week about how the DISC profile types are reflected in a high school drama production, you have your directors who are your ds, they’re the ones who are telling people what to do. Your I’s are your actors. They are the ones on the stage. They’re making everybody laugh and they’re feeling all their feelings, and they’re able to put that into their perform.

    Your S is with the people behind the scenes, making sure that everyone has what they need and your Cs are your technical people. So I want you to lean into the idea today about the I’s being the actors and the ones on the stage who gets everybody’s attention. When we talk about I styles, they are more individualistic and they use pronouns like I and me.

    I styles tend. Who questions because they’re very focused on people. If something is good, they’re going to respond with words like amazing and fantastic, and everything is wonderful. And if you listen to the tone of their voice, I’s tend to be louder and have more inflection in their voice. They’re more outgoing and they have this sense of confidence about them that really just draws you in.

    They’re very high energy and their energy is contagious. They are the kind of people that you want to be around and you just naturally like them. I’s prefer experience over analysis. They’re not data people. They are hands down people, people, they have smiles that will light up a room and when they’re excited and animated, it’s almost as if they’ve never met a stranger.

    I’s are really energized by large groups and they can easily build rapport with others. A lot of times you’ll find that I’s are really good at telling stories as well. It’s funny because when I think back to my time teaching I’s, were always, I, I hate to put a, you know, a label on them, but they were many times the class clown or the kids that were always talking and even though they were always talking.

    You couldn’t help but like them. They just really have this energy and this way of looking at the world that draws people in. So then how can you identify if you are talking with somebody who is an I, I’s are like Ds and that they’re very future oriented. They have animated voices and they are going to make I contact with you and they’re gonna make.

    They’re connecting with the person that they’re talking to. I’s talk about people and they focus more on people than on tasks, and they’re not afraid to show emotions because it’s a way for them to be able to connect with other people. When we look at the overall characteristics of an I, I’s are very influencing.

    They seek recognition. They’re really, really good at persuading and entertaining and showing enthusiasm. And this way I’s make really good sales people because they can connect with others so easily. They, again, have this charisma that just draws people in. Some of their challenges though, are that they can lack detail.

    They also can have a short attention span and have trouble with follow through.  and with those characteristics, it really should not be a surprise that they dislike routine. They don’t want complexity when it comes to making decisions because I’s are very spontaneous. They are a fly by the seat of their pants kind of person when it comes to making decisions because they’re focused on recognition.

    And seeking fun. When it comes to their biggest fear, and this is something that’s gonna show itself in how they deal with conflict, I fear a loss of prestige or rejection. Because what they want is they wanna have fun and they want to connect with people, and they really like to talk about themselves as well.

    And when we talk about the value that I’s bring to a team, all of those things really lend themselves to them being creative problem solvers. They’re also really great encouragers. They have a way about them where they light up a room. You know that when they’re talking with you that they mean it and that they genuinely want to connect with you, and they can motivate others through this connection and through things like having a really positive outlook or a positive sense of humor, I’s are also really good at negotiating conflict because of their ability to connect with other people.

    Now, a couple of weaknesses to be a whereabout is that they can sometimes be more concerned with popularity than tangible results. So if you have an I, for example, who’s in a. Very detail oriented. There’s probably going to be some challenges there. So for example, if you do have an I that’s in a sales related position, they’re gonna be really good at connecting with people.

    They’re going to be really good with having those conversations. The backend processes are probably going to be something that they struggle with. Those require tangible results, and that’s not what I’s are focused on. They also can have a lack of detail or be inattentive to details, not because those things are not important to them.

    It’s just because their focus is different. They’re very focused on the connection and people versus the details and the facts. I’s can also overuse gestures and facial expressions, and they can sometimes listen when it’s only convenient for them. So when you’re thinking about the types of things that you need to understand with dealing with an I, Especially when it comes to goal achievement.

    I’s need really clear instructions. If there’s something that you want them to do, you need to spell it out for them. They’re not good at reading between the lines when it comes to details, but remember, they, they don’t wanna lose prestige. They want to capitalize on those relationships, and so you can set them up to win by being really clear and spelling things out for.

    If you wanna get them on the same page as you, you need to make sure that you have sought agreement and commitment from.  because they can give into peer pressure because this goes back to again, their biggest fear is that they fear rejection. I’s also do not like confrontation. That asks them to explain their actions, and as a result, they can sometimes shift blame to other people.

    Now, the blame shift is not because they’re out to get somebody out. It’s because they’re trying to keep themselves from losing any esteem that you might have for them. How do we communicate with an I? Well, the first thing that you wanna make sure that you do is that you listen. They need for you to listen to what it is that they have to say.

    They need to be able to have time to socialize. However, once you have communicated with them, if there is something specific that you want them to accomplish, You will wanna make sure that you follow up with the details in writing because they’re not going to be able to manage the conversation and the details and be able to move forward.

    They need specific instructions to move forward after the conversation. Likewise, with an I, you are better off having four short 10 minute discussions versus one long, 40 minute discussion. If you’re trying to have a really long discussion with an I, you are probably going to lose. They’re going to get lost in the details and you will be better served and accomplished more if you have shorter, more pointed and direct discussions with them, rather than a long, drawn out one.

    Now, I wanna acknowledge that for every other type out there for our ds, our Ss, nrcs, these strategies that I’m suggesting are probably going to be challenging for you because none of the other types are as focused on connection and emotion and people and socializing as the I’s. Ds and Cs are probably going to find communicating with I’s draining.

    S’s will be able to deal with it a little bit more because they’re more supportive by nature, but there are still going to be some challenges. So I just wanna make it really clear that when we talk about all of the types, unless the one that I’m focused on is your primary type, regardless of whether or not we’re talking about D’s I, Ss, or.

    The strategies that are being presented are probably going to be challenging for you because in order to communicate effectively with another person, you have to communicate in a way that works for them, not for you, which means it might make you uncomfortable, but if you want them to receive the information and to be able to move forward effectively, you have to be able to tailor your communication in a way so, so that they can receive it.

    So I want you to think about someone you know who might be a high. Someone who you would describe as the life of the party. Lots of personality. Someone who makes you laugh or is always telling stories. You probably work with somebody like this. You might have a child like this. I want you to think about how you can allow time for them to socialize, and then how can you provide follow up for that person.

    If you’ve had a conversation with them, how can you provide follow up, let’s say in an email so that they know what’s expected or. A written list of things for them to check off to complete. If there are specific action steps that you need for them to take in order to be able to move forward, how can you communicate that to them?

    Because remember, communication is the responsibility of the communicator. If you want an I to be able to accomplish tasks, you have to be able to communicate it in a way that they’re going to be able to not only receive it, but then be able to take action. With that said, I’d like to thank you so much for being here today.

    I love spending time and learning with you. I would love for you to subscribe, rate, and leave a review because I’m a words of affirmation girl and I love hearing from. If you found value in today’s episode, please feel free to share it with a friend, especially if you know somebody who’s dealing with a high I and might be struggling and would benefit from the tips that were shared here.

    This episode will help them. I. You can hang out with me on Instagram at leading by type or in our Facebook group, which is also leading by type, and you can find a link to that in the show notes. And if you’d like to know more about your leadership genius, you can head on over to leading by type.com/quiz.

    I’ve created a short 12 question quiz that can help you start to identify your leadership superpowers. I’ll be back here next week and we’ll be talking about how to communicate with a high S profile, and I hope you’ll be back too. I’ll see you then.