I was a curator and participant of a workshop I coined “Love Language @Work.” It was designed to help the team really understand why they are the way they are, and ultimately to strengthen partnerships. We leveraged the DiSC framework, which I highly recommend as a tool for unlocking a deep, highly personal conversation with people you have to work with every day.
Turns out, I am a D – close to the i – meaning I blend dominance and influence traits. How this often shows up at work for me:
Thrives in leadership, growth, sales, strategy, partnerships
Likes momentum, visibility, and impact
Gets impatient with slow processes or excessive detail
Prefers action + buy-in over long analysis
If DiSC styles were leadership modes:
Pure D = the general
Pure i = the hype person
“D close to i = the charismatic commander”...I’ll take that branding any day!! Results-first, but motivating while doing it
BTW, for those that know me, the results (inclusive of a 20 page readout) are so spot on!
Most leaders want the same things: a team that communicates clearly, collaborates naturally, and feels genuinely valued. What most leaders do not realize is that people do not feel appreciated in the same way. What motivates one employee, might fall flat for another. What feels supportive for you, might feel overwhelming to someone else.
That is where “love language @ work” comes into play. When you pair your leadership intuition with a formal framework like the DiSC assessment, you get a shared language for understanding how people prefer to communicate, receive feedback, and feel valued. The secret “sauce” for making you a more effective leader and building trust with your team.
Why love languages at work matter
In personal relationships, love languages can help you understand how people prefer to receive care and appreciation. At work, the same applies, except the languages show up as:
Recognition
Autonomy
Support
Clarity
Collaboration
Quality time
Tangible help
What is DiSC and how can I bring it to my team
DiSC gives teams a shared, neutral framework for understanding behavior. It is not a personality test, but rather a communication tool.
Everyone is a blend of all 4 DiSC styles, but one or two usually stand out:
D is for Dominance
i is for Influence
S is for Steadiness
C is for Conscientiousness
No style is better or worse than another! Each one brings its own strengths, blind spots, and priorities. And once you understand the differences, you can tailor how you show appreciation, give feedback, and collaborate with others.
Why every team should do a DiSC assessment to find out their love language at work
When your team completes the DiSC assessment and you all understand each other’s behavioral styles, something powerful can happen. It gives you a shared map of how to work better together and how to bring out the best in each other. Resulting in better outcomes for your clients, stronger retention, and a happier team.
Now…your turn, go try it! Your next steps Love Language @Work:
1. Work with a DiSC vendor partner like Everything DiSC ($70) to have your team complete the assessment (takes roughly 30 mins).
2. The juicy part! Share the results openly in a team meeting to normalize talking about communication styles the same way you talk about goal setting.
3. Adjust your leadership style based on unique results. You now understand how each person likes to receive appreciation, recognition, and more.
4. Revisit the conversation quarterly knowing that people evolve, teams evolve, and your approach should always be evolving too.
