A recent Forbes article, “AI May Make Communication Easier, But Is It Weakening Our Leadership?”, raises an interesting question for anyone using AI at work: When we hand more of our communication over to AI, are we also handing over some of the thinking that makes communication effective in the first place?
Author Kathy Caprino points out that communication is about much more than putting the right words together. Before sending an important message, leaders have to think about what their team needs to know, what they may be worried about, what could be misunderstood, and how to move people forward with clarity and confidence.
That idea immediately made us think about Everything DiSC®. Even before AI entered the picture, there was never one “perfect” way to communicate with everyone. AI can help you write the email, but you still have to read the room.
The Same Message Can Land Four Different Ways
Think about an email announcing a change at work. Maybe the message is clear, professional, grammatically correct, and carefully written. By every traditional measure, it’s a good email. But that doesn’t mean everyone reading it will react the same way.
One person may want you to get to the point. Another may want to understand the possibilities and talk about it with others. Someone else may immediately wonder how the change will affect the team and whether they’ll have support, while another person may want more information before feeling comfortable moving forward.
Same email. Different reactions.
This is where Everything DiSC can add another layer to the conversation about AI and workplace communication.
What Does Your Audience Need From You?
Everything DiSC® gives us a framework for understanding different workplace priorities and behavioral preferences. While everyone is a unique combination of DiSC styles, considering the four basic styles can help us think more intentionally about how our message may be received.
Imagine you’re communicating a new process to your team.
A D style may be wondering: What’s the bottom line?
Someone with D tendencies may appreciate communication that is direct, concise, and focused on results. If your message takes three paragraphs to explain something that could have been communicated in three sentences, you may lose them before you reach the point.
An i style may be wondering: What are the possibilities?
Someone with i tendencies may be looking for energy, enthusiasm, and an opportunity to engage with others. A message focused entirely on procedures and details may give them the information they need without giving them much reason to get excited about it.
An S style may be wondering: How is this going to affect everyone?
Someone with S tendencies may want to understand what the change means for the people involved. They may appreciate reassurance, context, and clarity around what is changing, what will remain the same, and what support will be available along the way.
A C style may be wondering: Do I have enough information?
Someone with C tendencies may want to understand the reasoning, expectations, and details behind the message. If the communication is too broad or leaves important questions unanswered, they may hesitate before moving forward.
None of these reactions is right or wrong. That’s exactly the point.
AI Can Help You Adapt. DiSC Helps You Understand Why.
One of the recommendations in the Forbes article is to think and strategize first, then collaborate with AI. Instead of immediately asking AI what you should say, Capnrio encourages leaders to first consider what their team needs to understand, what they may misinterpret, and what concerns they may have.
That is also where knowledge of DiSC can be incredibly useful. Before asking AI to rewrite an important message, you might first ask yourself who you are communicating with, what matters most to them, where your natural communication style may clash with theirs, and what information will help them feel comfortable moving forward.
You can also consider whether you need to be more direct, more encouraging, more reassuring, or more detailed. Most importantly, ask yourself whether you’re communicating in the way you prefer or in the way they need.
Then AI becomes a tool for helping you execute that thinking rather than a replacement for it. Instead of simply prompting, “Make this email better,” you could approach the message knowing that one employee prefers direct, bottom-line communication while another appreciates more context and reassurance.
The tool may help you adjust the wording. Your understanding of the person tells you why you should adjust it.
Don’t Outsource the Human Part of Communication
The Forbes article also warns about what can happen when we automate too much of the difficult work that helps people grow as leaders. Navigating tough conversations, thinking carefully about how someone might respond, explaining complex ideas, and finding the right words after a mistake all help develop important leadership skills.
Everything DiSC reinforces that same need for awareness and adaptability. DiSC isn’t about memorizing four communication formulas or putting everyone into a box. It’s about developing a better understanding of yourself and the people around you.
You begin to recognize things like: I tend to get straight to the point, but this person may need more context. I naturally give a lot of detail, but this person probably wants the headline first. I’m ready to move forward, but this person may need more time to process the change. I think I’m being efficient, but they may be hearing me as abrupt.
Those moments of awareness are part of becoming a more effective communicator, and they can’t simply be automated.
The Human Advantage
AI isn’t going away, and it shouldn’t. It can be an incredibly useful tool for helping us organize our thoughts, challenge assumptions, simplify complicated information, and improve the way we communicate.
But as Caprino argues in Forbes, the goal is to use AI to strengthen our thinking and judgment rather than allowing it to replace them. Everything DiSC adds another important piece: Don’t just think about what you want to say. Think about the person who needs to hear it.
Sometimes the question isn’t simply, “Did I communicate this clearly?” It’s, “Did I communicate it in a way this person could hear?”
AI can help us choose the words, but understanding people helps us make those words matter.
Strengthen the Human Side of Communication with Everything DiSC® on Catalyst™
Everything DiSC on Catalyst helps individuals better understand their own behavioral tendencies while learning how to recognize and adapt to the needs of others. Whether your organization is looking to improve communication, strengthen workplace relationships, develop managers, navigate conflict, or build stronger teams, Resources Unlimited can help you find the Everything DiSC solution that fits your needs.
Ready to Learn More?
If you’re ready to help your team communicate more effectively, strengthen workplace relationships, and turn DiSC insights into everyday habits, Resources Unlimited can help you get started with Everything DiSC on Catalyst.
Contact Resources Unlimited to learn more, request a quote, or find the right Catalyst experience for your team.
FAQ
Can AI improve workplace communication?
Yes. AI can help make messages clearer, more concise, and better organized. However, effective communication still requires understanding the person receiving the message and adapting your approach when needed.
How can Everything DiSC improve communication?
Everything DiSC helps people understand their own communication tendencies and recognize the different priorities and preferences of others. This awareness can make it easier to adjust your communication style and reduce misunderstandings.
Can AI replace interpersonal communication skills?
AI can support communication, but it cannot replace the relationships, judgment, empathy, and awareness that come from knowing your team. Those human skills remain especially important in leadership, feedback, conflict, and change.
How can I use AI and Everything DiSC together?
Start by thinking about your audience and what they may need from the message. Then use AI to help refine the wording, tone, or structure. DiSC can help you understand why you may need to adapt the message, while AI can help you put that adaptation into words.
Is Everything DiSC only for improving communication?
No. Everything DiSC can also help organizations strengthen teamwork, develop managers and leaders, navigate conflict, build workplace relationships, and improve overall team effectiveness.
