🌲 Saving a Forest (and a Team): What I Learned About Communication When Everything Was on the Line
10/27/2025
By Sara — HR Manager, quiet observer, reluctant team mediator
A few months ago, I found myself sitting in yet another team meeting, stomach twisted in knots, watching the same dynamic play out for the fifth (tenth?) time.
We were supposed to be saving a forest.
A beetle infestation had been tearing through trees outside Salt Lake City. Whole stretches of forest—gone. Our organization had been hired to coordinate the replanting effort, and our team was leading the charge. Urgent work. Important work. The kind of thing we all wanted to be part of.
But the truth?
We couldn’t get through a single meeting without friction.
Connor, our Project Manager, would jump right in—mid-thought, really—assigning roles, calling shots. No “Hi.” No “How’s everyone doing?” Just... plans. Directives. Deadlines.
Niki, our Grounds Team Organizer, needed warmth. Connection. A little bit of “Hey, how was your weekend?” before diving into logistics. She’d never say it to Connor’s face, but afterward she’d vent to me:
“It’s like he doesn’t even see us as people. It’s just boom boom boom—marching orders.”
And Augie, our Environmental Scientist, was quiet, thoughtful, hyper-analytical. He always had the right data—soil chemistry, ideal root depth, long-term survival projections. But no one let him finish a sentence. Connor would cut him off. Niki would check out. I think at one point she literally pulled out her phone mid-report.
I’m not proud to admit this, but I didn’t say much during those meetings. I just watched. Took notes. Worried.
Something Had to Change
I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were spiraling. And not just socially—we were missing things. Connor was so eager to act that he overlooked the science. Niki was so frustrated she’d disengage completely. Augie was trying to speak up, but no one really heard him. And I—I was just sitting there, hoping it would fix itself.
Spoiler: it didn’t.
That’s when I remembered a course I’d recently taken called Leadership Conversations Series through Unleashing Leaders University. At first, I signed up because I wanted to be better at giving feedback as an HR Manager. But one of the modules introduced something called the DISC communication model, and it unlocked everything for me.
Not in a big, dramatic movie-scene kind of way. But in a quiet, “oh... that makes sense now” kind of way.
Here’s What I Realized
DISC breaks people into four basic styles:
- D – Dominance: results-focused, fast-moving, blunt
- I – Influence: energetic, people-oriented, expressive
- S – Steadiness: calm, reliable, harmony-seeking
- C – Conscientiousness: precise, cautious, detail-focused
And when I mapped our team? It was all there.
- Connor: high D. Not rude on purpose—he just runs on clarity and speed.
- Niki: high I. Needs human connection. Wants to feel seen.
- Augie: high C. Needs time to explain his thinking fully.
- Me? High S. I just want everyone to get along.
It’s not that we were incompatible—it’s that we were speaking different languages.
So I Tried Something
I didn’t announce a big shift. No dramatic PowerPoint. Just... a different way of starting the next meeting.
I said, “Hey, before we dive into logistics, let’s just take a few minutes and hear what’s on everyone’s mind. We’re juggling a lot.”
Connor raised an eyebrow. But he stayed quiet.
Niki beamed. She told a story about a volunteer who brought cookies.
Augie didn’t say much—but when it came time to present his soil report, I spoke up:
“Can we let Augie finish this before we ask questions? He’s got a full picture I think we all need to hear.”
Connor actually nodded.
Niki listened.
And Augie? He shared a critical detail about a planting site that would’ve failed due to runoff. We were about to green-light it that morning. His info saved us time, money, and effort.
It Wasn’t Magic, But It Mattered
One meeting didn’t fix everything. But it changed something.
I followed up with Niki afterward and said, “Hey, I know Connor’s style is hard for you, but his focus helps us move fast. Let’s try not to take it personally.”
I sat down with Connor privately and said, “Hey, I know you want action, and that’s important—but if we can slow down just enough to hear the full data, we’ll make better decisions.”
I told Augie, “When you finish your updates, maybe close with the takeaway so Connor doesn’t jump in early. Just say, ‘Here’s what this means.’ That helps him stay focused.”
And I reminded myself that harmony isn’t just about keeping peace—it’s about helping people understand each other.
What I’d Tell Anyone Leading a Team Right Now
If you’ve got tension on your team, it doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It probably just means you’ve got different styles working side by side—and no shared language for understanding them.
DISC gave me that language.
And while there are lots of tools and trainings out there, the one that really shifted things for me was that Leadership Conversations Series course. No fluff. Just real, usable stuff for people who don’t naturally love conflict (hi, me).
Also, if you want a way to actually track your team’s DISC styles, we’ve put together a simple spreadsheet:
📊 Team Communication Style Map – Download here (insert spreadsheet)
It’s nothing fancy, but it keeps everyone’s styles and needs in one place, so you can use it to run meetings, assign roles, or give feedback with more intention.
Final Thought
We didn’t just plant trees. We learned to work with each other instead of around each other.
And I think that’s the bigger win.
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<sub>Note: This story is a hypothetical scenario based on real team dynamics and common leadership challenges. The beetle infestation referenced is real, but the characters and conversations are fictional for the sake of learning.</sub>