Your Team’s DISC Types, Christmas Office Party Edition

If you’re a manager looking to better understand your team, one of the easiest ways is to use the DISC assessment. DISC is a popular behavioral assessment tool used extensively in the workplace to understand different communication and work styles. It categorizes people into four main types: 

• Drive, the assertive, ambitious, results-oriented people on your team. Drive types are action-oriented and they like to take charge more than other types.
• Influence, the team members who prioritize relationships, social interaction and communication. These types use their natural charm and persuasiveness to win people over.
• Support types are hard-working, quiet and helpful, like the Mother bear of the team. They’re cooperative and loyal, and do their best to minimize conflict.
• Clarity types are independent, analytical, organized and task-focused. They prefer quality over quantity and will weigh all the facts and data before reaching a decision.

Of course, the most accurate way to figure out who’s who is with a DISC personality assessment—but if you’re observant, you can spot a lot just by watching how everyone behaves at the office Christmas party! Parties tend to relax people a bit, creating a low-stakes environment where people forget their filters and their DISC types start to peek through. 

Spotting DISC Types at the Office Party

Drive Types Take the Lead 

Your Drive employees will stride in like they own the place, and their “take charge” instinct will kick in immediately. These types want things running efficiently, so they’ll often take over the Secret Santa gift exchange or nudge a slow-moving game along. These types will also network or talk shop a lot, even at a party setting.

How to spot them at the office Christmas party:

• They pitch “better” ways to run games and activities.
• They might make a toast or a mini motivational speech, even if no one asked.
• They’re quick to find whoever’s in charge when snacks or drinks run low.
• Small talk bores them—they’d rather discuss projects, productivity hacks, or goals for next quarter.
• Their compliments come with “helpful feedback” (“Love the decorations—next year, maybe garlands would look more festive?”). These can come across harshly, but the Drive type is simply trying to make everything the best it can be. 
• You’ll notice their confident posture. They move through the room with steady eye contact and a purposeful stride.

How this translates to performance at work:

Drive types make things happen. They’re fast-moving and decisive, which translates into solving problems quickly and well. Their strengths include:

• Taking initiative without waiting for direction.
• Making decisions quickly and confidently.
• Finding faster or better ways to hit goals.
• Keeping the team’s priorities front and center.
• Rallying teammates around outcomes.

Drive types can come across as intense or blunt. But when they learn to soften their delivery, that same force of will makes them genuinely impressive leaders.

Influence Types are the Social Butterflies  

If you’ve got employees who seem to know—and chat with—everyone, you’ve found your Influence types. At the office party, they’ll be complimenting ugly Christmas sweaters and coaxing even the shyest teammates into joining silly dance-offs or selfies. They’re pure holiday spirit, radiating charm and a contagious energy that lifts everyone up.

How to spot them at the office Christmas party:

• They play host even when they’re not. Expect enthusiastic greetings, introductions all around, and matchmaking between coworkers who “just have to meet.”
• They go all in on the outfit—think light-up jumpers, Santa hats, or anything that jingles.
• They flit from group to group and won’t stay in one place (or conversation) for too long.
• They’re the first to suggest karaoke or a spontaneous game of Charades.
• You’ll hear genuine compliments and little personal details remembered from months ago (“How’s your golden retriever, Max?”).
• They have a sixth sense for spotting anyone standing alone and will swoop in to pull them into the crowd.

How this translates to performance at work:

Influence types thrive on connection. They’re natural brainstormers and motivators who know how to rally a room and keep spirits high. Their key strengths include:

• Building and maintaining strong workplace relationships.
• Keeping energy and enthusiasm flowing through the team.
• Networking to open doors for the company.
• Encouraging coworkers and drawing out their best.
• Promoting collaboration and teamwork.

Influence types can sometimes drift off-task or take on too many projects at once. But with clear structure and a solid plan, their charisma becomes a powerful force for engagement and teamwork.

Support Types Bring the Heart to the Party

Support types are calm, kind, and happiest behind the scenes. They bring a warm, helpful energy to the party and you may notice them circulating the room, making sure everyone feels comfortable and cared for. 

How to spot them at the office Christmas party:

• They show up early to help set up and stay late to clean up long after everyone else heads home.
• They notice when people look uneasy and will be the first to check in with a kind word or a drink refill.
• They jump in naturally to clean up spills, replenish snacks or smooth over awkward moments without needing to be asked.
• They prefer meaningful one-on-one chats so you’ll see them settle into a comfortable spot to talk with a coworker.
• They might shy away from activities that draw too much attention to themselves, such as karaoke. But if someone begs them to join, they’ll do so to keep everyone happy.
• Their body language is usually warm and relaxed, making people around them feel at ease.

How this translates to performance at work:
Support types bring patience, empathy and quiet dedication to the team. They’re steady collaborators who hold teams together through sincerity and consistency. Their standout strengths include:

• Creating harmony through steady, dependable teamwork.
• Offering genuine support when others face stress or setbacks.
• Staying calm and grounded, even in high-pressure moments.
• Earning trust through reliability and kindness.
• Building morale through their emotional intelligence.

Support types thrive when they feel needed, and expectations are clear. Sudden changes can throw them off balance, and they may struggle to ask for what they really need to do their best work. But they’ll still be the first to offer help, and the last to leave when the work is done.

Clarity Types Are the Most Measured and Observant

Clarity types fly under the radar at parties and might be difficult to spot if you don’t know what to look for. They may look a bit reserved or detached, often sitting with one or two trusted colleagues and quietly watching the room. When they do chime in, their comments are sharp, insightful and often surprisingly funny, delivered with that deadpan timing that lands better than they expect.

How to spot them at the office Christmas party:

• They take a moment to read the room before jumping into conversations.
• They listen more than they talk, adding thoughtful comments rather than competing to be heard.​
• Their demeanor is calm and contained; you won’t see big gestures or loud outbursts.​
• They may skip the mingling but happily join structured activities such as trivia and quizzes.​
• They might quietly engage in quality control, such as returning snacks to their rightful place on the snack table or refilling bowls.​
• If they step outside or into a quieter corner, it is usually to recharge for a few minutes rather than to disengage completely.​

How this translates to performance at work:

Just as they bring a measured eye to the party, Clarity types bring accuracy and depth to their work. They aren’t the social backbone of the team, but they have a keen eye for the details and focus on getting things right the first time.​ Their standout strengths include:

• Delivering precise, high-quality work. 
• Catching errors others miss.​
• Maintaining high standards; never delivering work unfinished or half-baked.
• Using structured, logical thinking to work through complex problems.​
• Asking targeted questions that clarify expectations and reduce misunderstandings.​

You can rely on high-Clarity employees to produce near-flawless work, especially when they have time to prepare and a stable, well-defined process. Chaotic work environments or last-minute workflow changes can be stressful for them, but given a clear brief and room to think, they can turn rough ideas into polished, tightly executed results.

Turn Part Intel Into Real Leadership Insights

Your office Christmas party is more than free snacks and end-of-year toasts; it’s also a low-pressure way to notice each teammate’s strengths and how they naturally like to contribute when the pressure is off. Those observations pay off later. When you spot who leans toward Drive, Influence, Support or Clarity, you can fine-tune how you communicate as a team and hand out projects that actually fit people’s strengths.

Productivity tends to go up when people are contributing in ways that feel natural to them, but understanding personality cues is about more than just getting more done. When employees feel supported and seen, workplace relationships get stronger and your credibility as a leader grows right along with them. Morale, respect and collaboration matter just as much as targets—who knew you could learn all this from a workplace Christmas party?