The Discipline dimension measures the individual’s beliefs regarding discipline and how it reflects on their structure, predictability, work ethic, habits, and behaviors. Two extremes anchor the continuum — Flexible on the left, Strict on the right — and every respondent lives somewhere between them.
Flexible
The left extreme (flexible) characterizes individuals who believe the ability to be reactive and highly capable of improvisation is important. They accept high unpredictability as a consequence.
Individuals in these groups tend to be flexible about processes, procedures, and time — integrating social and emotional circumstances into the variables that affect the outcome and predictability of a task. These groups treat tasks as non-sequential and place a high value on flexible habits and their capability to react to unpredictable circumstances in a creative fashion. They often see schedules, plans, and commitments as flexible and dependent on external circumstances.
Strict
The right extreme (strict) characterizes individuals who believe that small, persistent tasks and actions lead to results and greater goals. These individuals are willing to sacrifice their immediate comfort in order to persist and achieve predictable results with a strong focus on processes and procedures.
Individuals detach social and emotional circumstances from the task at hand. These groups place a high value on punctuality and treat tasks as sequential — placing a value on planning, meticulously executing the plan, and staying on schedule. They feel that potential deviations that can be a product of external circumstances should be predicted, planned, and managed in a proactive manner.
Reading the extremes
Neither pole is right or wrong. Flexible cultures generate remarkable creative response in volatile environments; strict cultures generate remarkable reliability in stable ones. The friction shows up when the two coexist without either recognizing the other as a coherent way of working.