Why You Procrastinate at Work (It's Not Laziness, It's Your DISC Type)

If you’ve ever put off an urgent project to, say, reorganize your email inbox or tidy up your desk, don’t feel singled out.

The average adult procrastinates for about 218 minutes daily according to recent stats. That's over three-and-a-half hours spent putting off stuff you really need to get done, even though you know it's irrational and avoiding it will only make you more stressed out.

But have you ever stopped to think about why you procrastinate? Your boss might say it’s because you’re lazy, disorganized, lacking time-awareness or short on willpower. But our experts think that something else is going on, and it's all down to your DISC personality type.

Our work tasks are boring and there are just too many of them

Why do we keep putting off tasks that need finishing?

According to Elaine (Lainey) Lien, Certified Professional Coach, DISC assessment trainer and owner of The Leader’s GPS Academy, procrastination means that we're trying to avoid boring, difficult or tedious work. If a task makes you the opposite of fired up, it can be hard to push yourself into action. 

The statistics agree with Lien. In the study referenced above, 41 percent of people said they procrastinated due to apathy about the task.

Irina Doytcheva, Certified Career Coach, HR consultant and certified DISC practitioner of Simplicity Career Coaching disagrees. She thinks the modern-day hustle culture is to blame for hours we spend procrastinating. When you don’t have enough time to reflect and you’re overwhelmed by always being on the go, you're more likely to procrastinate, she says. 

This view is also correct. Around 25 percent of people say they procrastinate due to time constraints. 

At first glance, these reasons might look like they don't have anything in common. But both of them are driven by something more profound—emotional regulation. When you procrastinate, you aren’t regulating your negative emotions, whether those emotions are boredom, resentment, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed or feeling burned out. 

This is where personality type comes in. People with different DISC styles procrastinate for different reasons, in different ways and with different emotional intensity or levels of negative emotions—though "procrastination is a productivity killer for all four styles,” Doytcheva says. That means you can use your understanding of your DISC type to help you overcome procrastination.

How to stop slacking, based on your DISC type

High Drive - Break it down and delegate

Drive types like to focus on the big picture. Problem-solving, autonomy, risk-taking, challenges and finding solutions to the toughest problem are all in their wheelhouse of skills. Doytcheva labels famous go-getters like Hillary Clinton, Steve Jobs and Gordon Ramsey as typical Drive types, and says they procrastinate because:

• They choose exciting tasks over boring tasks.
• They’re too busy envisioning a goal or planning the big picture to get bogged down in details.
• They'll avoid tasks that seem "useless" to their career progression or next big idea.
• They dislike routine, mundane tasks like sorting through emails or rewriting meeting dockets. 

According to Lien, Drive types can stop procrastinating when they identify what needs their attention and frame it as why only they can do the job. That gives them a compelling reason to get to work.

Then it's a case of either breaking the task down into smaller, more manageable steps they can focus on, or delegating. “They need to do today what they can do today themselves. But then they also need to understand which things they should delegate to others. Make sure that they're delegating things; that they don't have to do everything themselves,” Lien says.

“Think of Steve Jobs trying to grow this product or think of Gordon Ramsey trying to open a huge new restaurant or a show,” Doytcheva says. “[They need] smaller, more manageable steps, so they can either do the tasks or allocate the responsibilities to someone else.”

Other tips for Drive types:

• Make it a game to tick items off your list. “Push yourself to complete those mundane tasks in a certain timeframe and then ask others who grade you or review your work so that you know what to improve and work on next time,” Lien says. 
• Understand when you’re making excuses about not doing a task. Excuses won’t get the job done, so be honest with yourself. Have self-compassion, and then get to work.
• Have a friend at work. When there's someone willing to help you, you can reciprocate for tasks they don’t enjoy. Or just enjoy a bit of socializing to get you through the tasks you don't like doing and keep you feeling energized.

High Influence - No distractions and clear time limits

Influence types are people-oriented, creative, action-oriented, variety-loving, persuasive, playful and conflict-avoidant. Basically, they're social butterflies who focus on relationships above everything else. “They’re your Angelina Jolie and Leo DiCaprios of the world," Doytcheva says. "They seek social recognition. So they may put off tasks requiring detailed analysis or activities they don't like dealing with.” 

Other reasons why Influence types procrastinate include:

• They're avoiding a difficult conversation or conflict.
• It's a detail-heavy task that demands a lot of focus.
• They prefer to work on a team rather than feel isolated.
• They’d rather be on social media. 
• The task is just too boring.

For Influence types, Lien recommends dedicating an area in your home or office where it’s work only. “Identify the distractions and create a distraction-free zone. Turn off your phone, turn off the television, close the windows or the blinds, so you literally don't go, ‘Squirrel. Look, a the squirrel, they're playing in the tree.’”

Doytcheva says clear plans and time limits are the I-types’ best defense against procrastination. If you have to plan a picnic, don’t immediately jump to your first instinct, which is to make a guest list and menu that pleases everyone (the fun stuff). Start with the basics—the date, time and how many people will be attending. Then, you can focus on what you enjoy (the people-focused details). 

Other tips for Influence types:

• Schedule breaks. Lien recommends setting a 20-minute timer for a work stint and then checking social media or hitting the water cooler—the classic Pomodoro technique. It’ll help you refuel and be more ready to return to work.
• Schedule time for small tasks that add up to the bigger picture. Look at the mundane smaller steps  and think: "If I write these emails or send these invitations, I’ll be one step closer to a company party where I can network." Allocate 10 to 20 minutes to tasks you dislike and remind yourself that these things matter, too.
• Give yourself rewards for completing tasks. You'll procrastinate less if you know there’s a reward (whether a treat or something social) after you finish a task you dislike.

High Support - A team to lean on and steady routines

Doytcheva calls Support types “your typical accountant," and says that they thrive on principle. Their main focus is to be helpful to others. They like to plan, go step-by-step, take things slow and follow procedures. And the big one — “They like steadiness and stability, so when they're faced with a challenge, quick change or conflict, they don't know what to do,” Doytcheva says.

Here’s why they procrastinate, according to our experts:

• They can't handle disruptions, new deadlines or change.
• They avoid having tough conversations.
• They don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
• They've been thrown out of their routine.

Support types are the first to put their needs aside to help everyone else. Lien says this is a big part of why they procrastinate, and they should practice self-compassion. This could mean admitting to yourself: ‘I need to get my work done. I can't always be here for others,' or that you need to get help as much as give it.

The next step is to, “recognize that it's okay to feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and change,” Lien says. She recommends that Support types talk to their boss and let them know when they need extra time to grasp and understand changes. “Seek out some guidance. Ask for clarification. If you don't understand what the change is, what it's about, how it benefits others, go ask for clarity, guidance; talk to somebody,” Lien advises. 

Other ideas for Support types:

• Seek support from your team. “Talk to other people, get other people's opinions and thoughts and feelings,” Lien says. Support types are the ultimate team players, so involve others. 
• Force yourself to start a task after a quick session of “me time.” You might neglect your needs, so a quick 10-minute break dedicated to self-care (such as a mindfulness exercise, meditation video, breathing exercises, or a walk outside) may improve your focus.
• Focus on making each task a routine, even the ones you hate. It sounds simple, but you’ll feel more stable if you allocate time daily to tackle hated tasks. If you’re learning a new software, for instance, try to schedule it on your calendar every day and make it a new habit.

Clarity - Let go of perfect and try something new

Clarity types are all about precision, quality and logic. “This style wants to be fully informed. They have an insatiable desire and need for information and facts and learning," Lien says. These are the people that are likely to read a manual cover-to-cover before using a new device.

They procrastinate because:

• They’re afraid to make mistakes.
• They won’t compromise on quality, even if it adds days to the project.
• They spend too much time planning and analyzing, which takes away from doing.
• Conceptualizing is their strong point, and taking action under rushed circumstances stresses them out.

Clarity types can easily lapse into perfectionism. The key to preventing procrastination is to tone it down. “Instead of always striving for perfectionism, aim for excellence,” Lien says. She recommends making a list of priorities and labeling which tasks actually require near perfection and which need less effort. 

Doytcheva says that Clarity types can overcome procrastination if they get out of their comfort zone. Forcing yourself to adapt to change and deadlines is a good way to start. “Change is good, and you’ll be forgiven if it's not perfect,” she says.

Other tips for Clarity types:

• Understand the audience of your task. The level of detail you require is probably more than what other people require. Lien recommends asking questions to clarify what is actually needed to improve efficiency.
• Seek feedback from others. When you feel paralyzed by perfectionism, ask a co-worker or boss to check your work. Their feedback will help you know if your work is already good enough and you should stop working on the task.
• Be kind to yourself. Clarity types “need to give themselves permission to let go of the small stuff; that not everything needs to be so detail-oriented,” says Lien. Time is valuable, and sometimes it's better to move on to the next task than spend too much time obsessing over one detail.