I'm Stuck, You're Stuck: Breakthrough to Better Work Relationships and Results by Discovering your DiSC Behavioral Style [Paperback]

Tom Ritchey (Author), Alan Axelrod PH.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2002 | Series: An Inscape Guide

Often when people feel stuck, they try to change something about themselves. Authors Ritchey and Axelrod suggest that instead they should learn to see situations in new ways and create new options for relating to others. That process begins with DiSC, an assessment tool that reveals one's style of interaction. DiSC is an acronym for the four styles -- Dominance (direct and decisive), Influence (optimistic and outgoing), Supportive (sympathetic and cooperative), and Conscientious (concerned and correct). This book teaches readers how to recognize their style and its implications, how to read the styles of others, and how to choose the most effective style (or combination of styles) for any situation.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Behaviors, as many industrial psychologists have emphasized for years, are infinitely easier to change than attitudes and personalities. What Ritchey recommends is the adoption of DiSC, an easy-to-administer (and diagnose) guide that, first, defines four distinct behaviors, and combinations as well, and then portrays a variety of situations and best-case reactions. It's all based on psychologist William Marston's 1920s research, which the author has refined for everyday work environments. Recognizing these four styles--dominance, influence, supportiveness, conscientiousness--is relatively easy. Ritchey details these topics for both pure and mixed behaviors: for instance, what motivates you, what discourages you, what is your favorite environment, what do you avoid, areas of misunderstanding, information to share, what to watch out for, getting unstuck, and your bottom line. No personality changes here but, rather, the ultimate in "knowing thyself" and subsequent adaptations. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Tom Ritchey has been a teacher, school principal, personnel director, sale and marketing executive, and, for the past ten years, President of Inscape Publishing. Tom combines his practical management experience and his deep knowledge of the behavioral sciences to create effective and memorable learning tools and events for diverse audiences. Alan Axelrod is the author of numerous business, communication, and management books, including the bestsellers Patton on Leadership and Elizabeth I C.E.O.

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1 edition (February 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576751333
• ISBN-13: 978-1576751336
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wasted money, wasted time, March 1, 2006

By 

Allan Elder (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: I'm Stuck, You're Stuck: Breakthrough to Better Work Relationships and Results by Discovering your DiSC Behavioral Style (Paperback)

That's what you get when you buy this book. The book simply reprints the same material you get in the DISC instrument. There is nothing, nothing, new here. There is no insight, no detail, no discussion on how to use the information. I use DISC constantly in my business and found this book a total waste. If you want to understand DISC go to www.discinsights.com and get their home study program. It's terrific, detailed, and provides lots of examples. I also recommend the book "The 4-Dimensional Manager." Still not as good as the above reference but at least it's worth the money.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding explanation of DiSC® Theory, March 8, 2002

By 

"jmcelyea2" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Stuck, You're Stuck: Breakthrough to Better Work Relationships and Results by Discovering your DiSC Behavioral Style (Paperback)

This book brings DiSC to life, and makes it understandable. It contains a detailed description of the various behavioral style combinations that are possible, and does a good job of explaining them in simple language, without much of the technical jargon that can sometimes accompany assessment tools.

The book includes a DiSC assessment tool, which is somewhat different than what is available commercially, but seemed accurate when I compared my results vs. other versions.

I've used DiSC® with several clients of mine. We usually spend class time explaining DiSC® and the theories behind it. This book could be easily used as pre-work to save class time during any training or consulting intervention involving behaviors, conflict, communication, team-building, management or leadership development.

I found this book light reading with virtually every sentence applicable to the real world. If you are an HRD, Training, Business or Personal Coach or Consulting Professional, you need this book in your toolkit!

I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Seems to Be Far Afield from true DISC Unified Theory, May 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: I'm Stuck, You're Stuck: Breakthrough to Better Work Relationships and Results by Discovering your DiSC Behavioral Style (Paperback)

While a complete well-grounded book for the public on the DISC dimensions of behavior is critically needed, Mr. Ritchey seems to have attempted to create an entirely new DISC self-assessment tool that is not based on the original framework of Marston, Jung, Cleaver, Hendrickson, and certainly not Geier who developed the DISC profile Ritchey purportedly has used for years. A publication for the masses who have been exposed to DISC behavior concepts, assessments, profiles, "tests", and tools is sorely needed. This book adds not to clarity, but to the confusion of the users of DISC tools for personal and professional growth. DISC conceptually is a strong assessment in today's marketplace. Used correctly a DISC Profile will create "miracles." Not only is the book gravely inaccurate and misleading in places (specifically the history section), it provides "tests" for the public that are invalid, unreliable, and inaccurate. I was very disappointed in this book.