Finding the right people is one of the hardest parts of running a consultancy.
Shortly after founding Bridge Builder, John sat down for a DISC assessment sponsored by a client. He expected the usual high-level nonsense. Instead, the report came back with a fairly accurate description of how he likes to work.
He brought the tool back to Bridge Builder, and, over the years, it has become a critical tool in our tool chest. Everything DiSC: A Wiley Brand is a behavioral framework that maps how people communicate, make decisions, and handle pressure.
We appreciate Terry Coates support at 10/10ths Development Corporation, who has helped facilitate the reviews for Bridge Builder, LLC.
“Finding a strong technical consultant is probably one of the most difficult positions I staff for. The person has to be able to communicate complicated concepts to a client, then know when it’s time to stop talking and get to work. DiSC helps me figure out who that person is. It’s not 100% accurate, but I appreciate having another data source when I’m making team decisions.” – John Pontius, Founder
We use it in a few places:
When adding someone to the team, we want to know Bridge Builder is a good fit for the person joining, not just the other way around. The trait mix against the existing team matters too.
When staffing a project, certain client environments call for certain dynamics. We staff for this, and not just for the skill match.
When working through misunderstandings, which can happen when two teammates on a project read each other wrong, we reference each other’s assessments to understand how the other person actually works.
It isn’t the whole story of how we work.
It is a tool we keep reaching for, and one of the reasons our team operates well across timezones, clients, and personalities.
