My Client’s Breaking Point: Fixing Team Drama with DISC

When a Business Owner Walked In Crying

I’ll never forget the day a business owner walked into my office with tears in her eyes.

Her business was growing, revenue looked strong, and her products were in demand — yet she was miserable. It wasn’t finances or operations that brought her to the breaking point. It was people.

Her team was constantly at odds. Departments weren’t speaking to each other. One leader had started copying half the company on every email to prove a point. Others were working different schedules just to avoid being in the same room.

She wasn’t managing a business anymore — she was managing drama.

That morning, she told me, “I feel like I spend more time babysitting adults than running my company.”

By the time she left, she was smiling.

What changed wasn’t her team — it was her understanding of them.

The Hidden Cost of Workplace Drama

When Miscommunication Becomes Expensive

Before that session, she had brushed off the tension as normal workplace friction. But when we looked closer, the cost of that “normal” drama was staggering.

• Missed deadlines had increased by 30%

• Turnover was up 22%

• Projects were taking longer because departments refused to collaborate

Even customers were starting to notice. One client pulled her aside after a tense meeting and asked, “Is everything okay with your team?”

That was the wake-up call. The internal tension wasn’t staying internal anymore.

This is what I call the silent killer of small business culture — when personal friction quietly chips away at productivity, profits, and leadership confidence.

The DISC Discovery

Why I Recommended DISC

During our coaching session, I asked her to tell me about the people involved — not just what they did, but how they acted under pressure. The more she talked, the clearer it became: this wasn’t a strategy issue. It was a behavior issue.

I introduced her to the DISC behavioral assessment, a simple but powerful framework for understanding communication and conflict patterns.

DISC identifies four main behavioral styles:

• D (Dominance): Direct, decisive, and results-driven

• I (Influence): Outgoing, energetic, and people-focused

• S (Steadiness): Patient, consistent, and loyal

• C (Conscientiousness): Analytical, detail-oriented, and precise

When people with different styles work together without understanding these differences, friction is inevitable.

The Breakthrough Moment

Seeing Her Team Differently

As we reviewed her team’s DISC profiles, everything started to make sense.

Her operations manager — a high D — came across as “aggressive” to her customer service team, who were mostly high S personalities valuing harmony and patience.

Her marketing director — a high I — was driving her detail-focused accounting team crazy with constant brainstorming and spontaneous changes.

Her high S team members, meanwhile, resisted every new initiative because they needed time to process and adapt — not because they were stubborn or lazy.

When she saw these patterns, she laughed through tears and said, “So they’re not impossible people — they’re just different.”

Exactly.

How We Turned Awareness Into Action

Step 1: Team DISC Assessments

We started with simple assessments for each employee. Within days, the lightbulbs went off — people finally understood themselves and each other.

Step 2: A Team Workshop

Next, we held a half-day session to map communication styles. Team members practiced re-phrasing messages to match others’ preferences.

Step 3: Communication Agreements

We built a few clear rules:

• D’s get bullet points, not paragraphs.

• I’s need positive connection before direction.

• S’s deserve context and reassurance.

• C’s want data, detail, and deadlines.

It sounds simple, but it completely shifted how people interacted.

Step 4: Role Alignment

Finally, we re-evaluated who was doing what. High D personalities were given fast-moving, results-driven projects. High S employees managed customer care. C’s handled quality control. I’s took on collaboration and creative work.

Within three months, productivity was up, communication complaints were nearly gone, and morale had bounced back.

Lessons for Business Owners

1. Personality Isn’t the Problem

Most “toxic” workplaces aren’t filled with bad people — they’re filled with misunderstood behaviors. Once you see that, everything changes.

2. Communication Must Be Intentional

Your team doesn’t need to communicate your way — they need to communicate in a way that works for them. DISC gives you that blueprint.

3. Culture Change Starts at the Top

When you as the leader understand how your style impacts others, it sets the tone for the entire organization.

The Outcome

Six months later, that same business owner sent me an update:

• Employee turnover dropped from 22% to under 8%

• Projects were completing 25% faster

• Her leadership team reported the highest morale since the company was founded

She told me, “I don’t wake up dreading work anymore.”

When she left that first session smiling, it wasn’t because everything was fixed — it was because she finally had clarity.

And that’s where every great turnaround begins.

To learn more about DISC and order team assessments, visit my company, BOSS: https://www.businessownershipsimplified.com/team-building

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