# Discipline 纪律 (jì lǜ) Domain: 🟪 Executing ### Signature Theme Description Your world needs to be predictable. It needs to be ordered and planned. So you instinctively impose structure on your world. You set up routines. You focus on timelines and deadlines. You break long-term projects into a series of specific short-term plans, and you work through each plan diligently. You are not necessarily neat and clean, but you do need precision. Faced with the inherent messiness of life, you want to feel in control. The routines, the timelines, the structure, all of these help create this feeling of control. Lacking this theme of Discipline, others may sometimes resent your need for order, but there need not be conflict. You must understand that not everyone feels your urge for predictability; they have other ways of getting things done. Likewise, you can help them understand and even appreciate your need for structure. Your dislike of surprises, your impatience with errors, your routines and your detail orientation don’t need to be misinterpreted as controlling behaviors that box people in. Rather, these behaviors can be understood as your instinctive method for maintaining your progress and your productivity in the face of life’s many distractions. ### Shared Theme Description People who are especially talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create. ### Additional notes: Only 7% of the 18+ million individuals who have taken the [CliftonStrengths assessment](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253868/popular-cliftonstrengths-assessment-products.aspx) have it in their Top 5, which means it is one of the rarer Signature Themes -- coming in at No. 31 out of 34 in frequency. (source: 3) **Spatial Discipline** - "A place for everything, and everything in its place.". Desks and home are organized impeccably and they never waste time hunting for an object **Thought-Process Discipline** - tend to have an internal calendar in which they mentally log their appointments and to-dos, and easily and quickly create color-coded spreadsheets to give visual organization to their thinking. (source: 3) Those with Discipline in their Top 5 need their world to be predictable and they don't particularly like surprises. Sticking to the schedule, fashioning a structure, and building a framework creates a sense of freedom for those high in Discipline, because they don't have to worry about managing unpredictability. Crossing the t's and dotting the i's makes for an orderly, predictable, and precise world -- and enables Discipline to be highly productive. (source: 4) You enjoy routine and structure. You create order; you also admire order. (source: 2) Discipline craves order. And that can create predictability; it can create safety; it can create stability within a team if you let it (source: 2) Discipline can "herd the cats" -- so it's about tapping the edges, really giving people just gentle nudges back toward what our process needs to be. (source: 2) Discipline really thrive when there's clearly defined metrics of success. (source: 2) Encourage Discipline to notice their habits and rituals. Rank those that are most important to them. And then share them with other people. This is a bit like your non-negotiables for Discipline. Focus on one weekly practice that they have, and challenge them to improve the efficiency or the effectiveness of that practice. (source: 2) Blind spot: Sometimes those with strong Discipline talents can get so focused on the process that they lose sight of the outcomes; they can reason that following the correct steps in and of itself is the correct outcome. (source: 3) ### Helps and Hinders (source: 3) _**Helps**_ - Your natural inclination to focus on the fine points and create structure enable you to approach tasks in an orderly and well-planned manner. - You can easily sift through the clutter and chaos and create order, giving you an efficiency that can be leveraged for greater productivity. - Your attention to detail enables you to see errors, mistakes and inconsistencies others might miss, making you a valuable asset to your team in addressing potential problems. - As a team leader, you bring structure, process and order to your team's work habits and project execution. _**Hinders**_ - Your need to stick to a schedule may cause others to perceive you as rigid or inflexible. Understand that sometimes exceptions need to be made. - If you lead a team, you should check in with your team periodically to see what adjustments may need to be made to improve the team's processes. - Not everything that happens is predictable. When the unexpected happens, find a way to adjust your routine to address the challenge or opportunity unexpected occurrences bring. - You develop frameworks that enable projects to get off the ground and run smoothly. Be careful that your framework does not become a prison; be open to new suggestions that might improve implementation. ### Raw and Mature Raw form: tend to make people feel anxious and nervous when disorder is present. Mature: Instead of seeing chaos as a bad thing, it becomes an opportunity to create structure out of the situation. Raw Discipline sounds like "I need" when chaos is present, whereas mature Discipline would say, "I create order." Raw Discipline is about the process and mature Discipline is about performance. Raw Discipline is inflexible and set in its ways, while mature Discipline is anticipatory. (source: 5) ### With other Themes: #CS/Deliberative🟪 #CS/Belief🟪 #CS/Discipline🟪 Other Executing themes might look for, What can be done in specific ways? For example: • Deliberative looks for what has been carefully vetted to minimize risk. • Belief focuses on opportunities that are most in line with core values. • What Discipline does is helps the team approach whatever priority is in front of them in a more systematic way. It minimizes "flail" by organizing the energy. (source: 6) #CS/Discipline🟪 and #CS/Consistency🟪 **Discipline** might repeat the same routine over and over again, because it's efficient, and because it's working and because it's it's structured (task focused) **Consistency** might repeat the same routine over and over again because of the uniform fairness that brings. This could look the same on an outcome, just comes from slightly different motivations (people focused) (source: 2) #CS/Discipline🟪 and #CS/Deliberative🟪 **Discipline** carefully adheres to order and rules that help us move forward. "This is the most efficient process to follow because I've created some structure." **Deliberative** carefully navigates forward through potential risk. "This is the safest route forward because I've done the risk analysis" #CS/Discipline🟪 and #CS/Responsibility🟪 **Discipline** makes sure we're progressing towards our commitments and is motivated by adhering to the process **Responsibility**, on the other hand, is motivated by the promise to others #CS/Discipline🟪 and #CS/Arranger🟪 The similarities of **Discipline** and **Arranger** are found in the organizational traits that are inherent to each. And both are executing themes, so the primary focus of both is on how to get things done. • **Arranger** likes to determine how all of the pieces and resources can be orchestrated for maximum productivity, while **Discipline** likes to create order, structures, and routines so that personal productivity can be achieved. • Individuals high in **Arranger** tend to focus on team accomplishment, while those high in **Discipline** tend to focus on individual accomplishment. • **Discipline** likes deadlines, details, and predictability; **Arranger** likes systems, processes, and multiplicity. • **Arranger** is the conductor of the orchestra, and **Discipline** is the solo violinist whose impeccable technique creates a masterful performance. (source: 4) ^3b150a #CS/Discipline🟪 and #CS/Analytical🟩 **Analytical** is primarily a way of thinking, while **Discipline** is primarily a way of behaving. That said, there are similarities between the two that, like Discipline and Focus, can enhance and amplify each other. • **Analytical** is energized by finding the patterns in the details of the data; **Discipline** is energized by creating and implementing the details of a routine. • **Analytical** studies the seemingly chaotic to demonstrate the underlying patterns; **Discipline** brings order and structure to the actual chaos. • Someone I have known quite well for many years has **Discipline** and **Analytical** in her Top 5, and that combination manifests itself in the color-coded spreadsheets she has created for over two decades to organize and efficiently manage both her personal and professional life. (source: 4) ^0e8499 #CS/Discipline🟪 and #CS/Focus🟪 • **Discipline** and **Focus** are both Executing themes and are primarily about ways to get things done. • There can be a single-mindedness about each of these themes that make them similar and also amplify each other. • **Discipline** tends to center on personal efficiency, sweeping aside all that can get in the way of the most efficient system for getting things done. **Focus** tends to center on efficiency of goal achievement, sweeping aside all distractions and detours that would prevent one from accomplishing a goal. • Those strong in **Discipline** have clarity about structure, while those strong in **Focus** have clarity about goals. • **Focus** will work tirelessly to achieve a goal, while **Discipline** will create the most effective routine for accomplishing the tasks that make up the necessary components of the goal. ^c02968 ![[🟪 CS_Responsibility#^306517]] ![[🟧 CS_Self-Assurance#^1ae74c]] ![[🟩 CS_Analytical#^ab3d60]] ### Themes that Moderate Discipline: #CS/Strategic🟩 #CS/Adaptability🟦 #CS/Arranger🟪 #CS/Relator🟦 #CS/Includer🟦 #CS/Harmony🟦 #CS/Individualization🟦 ### Themes that Amplify Discipline: #CS/Focus🟪 #CS/Achiever🟪 #CS/Consistency🟪 #CS/Responsibility🟪 #CS/Restorative🟪 ### Social Media Comments it’s not the accomplishment that feels good, it’s the smoothness with which it happened!! Discipline #2 ([Dan Vincent](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7272694759708659715?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28ugcPost%3A7272694759708659715%2C7273429621897928705%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287273429621897928705%2Curn%3Ali%3AugcPost%3A7272694759708659715%29)) Discipline is in my Top 5. Knowing this about myself has been really important as someone who is self employed. One nuance I've noticed is that sometimes it's easy for me to create the structure/routine and sometimes I'd rather use someone else's template or plan as a starting point. Just because I need it doesn't mean I'm always the one to create it..... yes, it seems to center around whether I have an expertise on the topic. When I do, I drive what needs to be done, how frequently, etc. If the topic is new to me, I defer to another expert. [](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7298714449501114368?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28ugcPost%3A7298714449501114368%2C7298721420782546945%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287298721420782546945%2Curn%3Ali%3AugcPost%3A7298714449501114368%29) ------------ ### Sources: - 1 Theme Descriptions: Rath, Tom. _StrengthsFinder 2.0_. Gallup Press, 2007. - 2 [Discipline: Highlights From Your CliftonStrengths 34](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/266831/discipline-highlights-cliftonstrengths.aspx) - 3 [The Discipline Theme: How You Can Productively Aim Your CliftonStrengths Talent](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/249755/discipline-theme-productively-aim-your-cliftonstrengths.aspx) - 4 [Comparing and Contrasting CliftonStrengths Themes](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/250409/comparing-contrasting-cliftonstrengths-themes.aspx) - 5 [Pairing and Expanding Your Strengths: Discipline](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/250721/pairing-expanding-strengths-discipline.aspx) - 6 [CliftonStrengths Discipline Theme: Teams and Managers](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/287102/cliftonstrengths-discipline-theme-teams-managers.aspx)