Session 3 of GROW 2026: Early-Career Virtual Summit

This session focused on strengthening collaborative communication in healthcare by using the DISC personality framework. The goal was to help leaders and teams understand behavioral differences, reduce miscommunication, and improve patient safety by adapting communication styles across roles and disciplines.

The speaker emphasized that communication failures are not minor issues in healthcare—they are a major driver of medical errors, handoff failures, and even malpractice costs. Because healthcare teams work under pressure with complex hierarchies and fast decision-making demands, misunderstandings are common unless communication is intentional and adaptive.

Why Communication Matters in Healthcare

The presentation began by grounding the topic in patient safety data:

• A large proportion of serious medical errors are linked to communication breakdowns

• A significant percentage of critical errors occur during patient handoffs and transitions

• Communication failures contribute to major malpractice costs annually

The key takeaway was that communication is not just interpersonal—it directly affects patient outcomes, organizational risk, and leadership effectiveness.

The DISC Framework (Core Model)

The DISC model was introduced as a practical tool to understand communication preferences and behavior:

• D (Dominance):

  Direct, fast, results-oriented, decisive

• I (Influence):

  Social, expressive, enthusiastic, relationship-focused

• S (Steadiness):

  Calm, supportive, stable, prefers predictability

• C (Compliance):

  Analytical, detail-focused, data-driven, structured

Key points:

• Most people are a blend of styles

• No style is “better” than another

• Styles influence how people communicate, process information, and respond to stress

• Stress often exaggerates natural tendencies

Communication Styles in Practice

Each DISC style has different needs in communication:

• D:

  Wants bottom-line information, speed, autonomy

• I:

  Responds to stories, collaboration, and recognition

• S:

  Needs reassurance, time, and stability

• C:

  Requires data, accuracy, structure, and evidence

Under stress:

• D → blunt or controlling

• I → impulsive or scattered

• S → resistant or withdrawn

• C → overly critical or rigid

The speaker emphasized that many conflicts in healthcare are actually “style mismatches,” not personal issues.

Why Miscommunication Happens

Common sources of breakdown include:

• Speed vs. thoroughness (action vs. analysis)

• Emotion vs. facts (human story vs. documentation)

• Hierarchy and fear of speaking up

• Jargon and unclear assumptions

• Time pressure and rushed decisions

• Different expectations of detail and format

A key message: everyone is usually “right” from their own perspective—they just need translation across styles.

Adapting Communication (Flexing Your Style)

The speaker stressed adjusting communication based on the audience:

• With D:

  Be brief, direct, solution-focused

• With I:

  Be engaging, positive, conversational

• With S:

  Be patient, supportive, and inclusive

• With C:

  Be structured, factual, and detailed

The idea is not to change who you are, but to “flex” delivery so the message is actually received and understood.

Practical Tools & Frameworks

SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation)

Used to structure communication in healthcare handoffs:

• D:

  Lead with the situation and recommendation

• I:

  Include human impact and story

• S:

  Provide reassurance and stability

• C:

  Provide full data and documentation

Meeting & Team Strategies

• Share agendas in advance

• Separate decision items from discussion items

• Use time limits and structured input (e.g., round-robin)

• Assign clear owners and deadlines

• Summarize next steps before closing

• Encourage quieter voices and manage dominant ones

Team Dynamics & Leadership Insights

• Effective teams require diverse personality styles, not clones of one type

• Hiring should balance strengths and complementary weaknesses

• Silence can signal disengagement or discomfort and should be checked

• Psychological safety is essential for honest communication

• Leadership requires awareness of how different styles interpret the same message

Key Takeaways Checklist

• Communication failures directly impact patient safety and outcomes

• DISC helps explain

  how

  and

  why

  people communicate differently

• No personality style is better—each serves a function

• Most conflict is caused by style mismatch, not intent

• Effective communication requires adapting to the listener

• SBAR and structured communication reduce errors in healthcare

• Meetings and teams work best with clear structure and shared expectations

• Psychological safety increases honesty, learning, and error prevention

• Leaders must “flex” communication instead of expecting others to adjust