The Flexible & Disciplined Core Drivers

This article outlines and describes the Flexible and Disciplined Core Drivers.

 

Flexible

The Flexible core driver reflects the low pole of Conscientiousness.

Individuals who have Flexible as a core driver can be described as being quick to act, spontaneous, and unconcerned with the details. They are likely to improvise and can be quick to adapt to change.

As a strength, Flexible individuals are fast to act and are reactive in the way they do things. They tend to not worry too much about rules or established guidelines. They are comfortable changing direction and not too concerned with processes and procedures. Some limitations of being Flexible are that they may let others down by not being organized or careful enough. Similarly, they tend to forget deadlines, or rush through tasks in a sloppy manner just to get it done. They work quickly, but not always efficiently. 

When leading or working in a team, Flexible individuals typically play the role of being a “Path Clearer”. When working in group contexts, they help the team achieve its goals by being quick and able to navigate around obstacles. Unlike others, who may see dead ends, Flexible individuals will clear organizational bottlenecks to help their team get the job done. As a limitation, Flexible individuals may struggle to work with teammates or in environments that are rule bound. They need to work hard to balance planning and processes with their more adaptive approach to problem solving. Further, their expedient nature may frustrate others as they can leave loose ends and seem unreliable. 

Disciplined

The Disciplined core driver reflects the high pole of Conscientiousness.

Disciplined individuals are described as being dependable, organized and reliable. They pay close attention to the details, perfectionistic, organized, and diligent. They are able to stay focused and are not easily distracted.

As a strength, Disciplined individuals are likely to be careful, planned and thorough when going about their work. They play within the rules, like to do a good job, and make sure they are on time. Others will see them as dependable, with high standards and concerned to get the details right. These strengths are at a cost to being flexible and quick to act as others. At times they might come across as a perfectionist or too rule-bound. They like to take their time to get things right causing others to see them as conventional and too slow.

When leading or working in a team, Disciplined individuals who usually play the role of the “Project Manager”. That is, they keep the group organized, set long-term goals, plan ahead, keep others on task. They set high standards and ensure even the smallest details are managed and are not forgotten about. They understand process and rules, believe in fulfilling the team’s commitments, and in doing what is right. When things get confusing or busy, others will seek out their guidance. Nonetheless, they may lose sight of the big picture or annoy colleagues by being a perfectionist. They may slow things down by insisting that there is only one right way to get things done, or by being rigid about the rules. They may struggle to accept that perfection does not equate to performance.