Analytical, Detail-orientated and Organised: C (Compliance) DISC Profile for Authors

When Helen Rowe was asked by her publisher to reference the 143 quotes in her book, although she was daunted by the idea, she methodically and systematically went through the process.

In this penultimate blog about DISC personal profiling, today I am going to focus on the final profile: ‘C’ for Compliance (sometimes referred to as Conscientious).

If you have missed any of my other blogs in this series, click here!

‘C’ Strengths = Analytical, detail-oriented and organised

 High C profiles are known for their meticulous attention to detail. They excel at analysing data, and they are well organised and structured.

Helen Rowe came up with the idea for her book 10 years ago. She wrote her book because she was deeply frustrated by society, and she knew she had a choice – to be angry and moan a bit or write about it! This led to six years of in-depth research before she started writing her book.

This was one of the indicators that Helen has ‘C’ as one of her strengths. You may have come across Helen before if you’ve been following me for a while. She won the Page Turner Awards in 2021, which meant she had me as her book mentor (you can watch a video where Helen talks about her journey here). Then I guided her through the process of turning her started manuscript into a book which won her a publishing contract with Flint Books. Eliminating Poverty in Britain was published in 2023.

This research had multiple benefits. Firstly, Helen took her time to understand the topic fully before jumping in and writing it. Secondly, this research gave her certainty and confidence that she knew what she was talking about before sharing it. Thirdly, when she was faced with the arduous referencing task, then she was able to find all the information and decide what to include and what to leave out.

One of the strengths of being a high C profile is that you are well organised, and comfortable with structure and process. This meant, as a book mentor, that once we had the structure for her book in place, I knew that Helen would diligently and methodically work through my suggestions for improvement.

‘C’ Limitations = Perfectionist, overly critical, tendency to overthink

One of the limitations of a high C profile is that they are likely to be a perfectionist. This can be a double-edge sword. Whilst it can lead to high-quality work, it can also lead to procrastination and an unwillingness to share their writing until they believe it’s flawless.

Although Helen stepped up to the plate to submit her manuscript for the Page Turner Awards (and I know that she was hugely nervous doing this), there are likely many other authors who keep their ideas to themselves for way too long.

If you don’t take a breath, let go of your writing and get feedback from others, it can slow down the process. It means that someone else might publish a book like yours before you do. And it also means that you might go too far down the path of writing your book before you seek support from someone like me who could help make it better.

Unlike ‘Dominance’ and ‘Influence’ profiles, high C profiles like detail, and sometimes too much detail, and this in turn can mean they struggle to see the bigger picture.

They can be overly critical of their own work, leading to self-doubt and anxiety. They might spend excessive time revising and editing, sometimes at the expense of progress. If you are always editing the first chapter, then you’ll never get to the end of writing your book!

When Helen was interviewed by Sheryl a couple of months ago for our Author’s Journey interview, she talked about the grit and determination she developed because of her passion for the topic and how she needed to be resilient in the face of rejection – often a challenge for high Cs. She knew that she needed to go outside of her comfort zone to get her publishing deal and share her research with the world.

If you identify with the ‘C’ profile, how does this affect how you write your book?

• You will value structure and a process to follow. Whilst you might find an online programme, such as the Smart Author System, a useful starting point, you will also likely benefit from working with a book mentor who can carefully and sensitively steer you through the book writing process, whether this is through one of my Smart Author programmes or one-to-one.
• Although research is important, and it will give you the confidence and certainty that your book is important to your reader, don’t let this hold you back from getting started. You will benefit from someone like me who will have belief in you when you don’t have it in yourself.
• Your strengths are structure and organisation, so play to these strengths as you will be more comfortable when you have a strong plan to complete your book and you can tick things off as you go.
• Be aware of when your perfectionism is slowing down the process. You can recognise this when you don’t feel you are progressing, you are overediting, or you start to doubt yourself. If you don’t write your book, then someone else might get in first. That’s when a book coach or mentor can fast track you through the obstacles that might get in your way.
• Get cheerleaders on board to give you support. First you might want them to tell you what they love about your writing, and as you get more confident and comfortable, then you might invite suggestions for improvements.

If you identify with the 'I' profile, how does this affect your readers?

You will likely produce well-researched and fact-based content, which cites credible sources and include references. However, your ideal readers may be another profile.

A ‘D’ profile is likely to want you to use clear and action-oriented content with actionable steps or solutions.

An ‘I’ profile will value content that is engaging and lively with stories and anecdotes that back up your research.

An ‘S profile wants practical guidance delivered with a calm and empathetic tone.

Getting support with your book

If you recognise yourself as a high ‘C’ profile, then let’s chat about how I can support you as your Book Mentor.

As planning and structure is something you crave, you will likely enjoy working through the Smart Author System, as this helps eliminate uncertainty or worry about what to do and when.

You can book a call with me to discuss the options here: https://librotasbookfocus.youcanbook.me.

A word of caution

While DISC is a powerful tool, it's important to remember that personality profiling is just one among many methods for understanding human behaviour, and it's one of many tools I use. It offers valuable insights, but it should be used in conjunction with other approaches to achieve a comprehensive understanding of people. It's also worth noting I am a DISC trained practitioner through Thomas International and it helps to work with an expert to understand yourself better and know where you excel and where you might need help.