Building Your Team: Understanding and appreciating the differences in communication style

You've probably noticed that a good part of the world is facing problems, activities, people and play differently than you do. If you lead a team, you may have wondered why some people enjoy the camaraderie of group meetings, while others suffer through those same meetings, hoping that time will begin and end quickly. You may have discovered that the unit action exhibited by some members of your team is balanced by the need to evaluate or analyze expressed by others on the team.

In fact, our jobs are full of complex, fascinating, they do and say things that continually surprise us. If you manage a team of different people, it is up to you to learn not only how to evaluate these differences, but also how to build on these differences. As a first step, you should begin to understand their communication style, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.

There must be a complicated process to begin to identify the differences in communication style. You've probably seen some patterns in yourself and the people you work with. For example, you: How to interact with others or prefer to work alone
Complete tasks or concentrate on developing relationships
Enjoy the generation of new ideas or Enjoy streamlining of procedures
They tend to think first, then act or tend to act first, and then evaluate
Make objective decisions or make subjective decisions
Value feelings over reason or logic value that emotion

It 's interesting to note that it does not really matter how or why you developed these preferences. It 's just important to realize that you have preferences or habits that we tend to rely on your way in the world. Of course, we all have the ability to do whatever the situation requires of us, but let's face it: there are certain behaviors that they simply feel more comfortable for us than others.

Let me give an example: When a member of my team down a problem in my lap, my first instinct is to ask questions and gather facts. When I have enough information, I can begin to evaluate options. When I thought through these options, then I can recommend a test solution. Would it surprise you to know that I prefer an analytic style of communication? (We call this style of Netspeed Leadership Analyzer.)

Now we think the team member who has dropped the issue in my lap. Maybe it's actually a little 'excited that I got an error that created the problem. Imagine that she feels bad enough on the issue and hopes that I will take a few minutes to empathize with her distress and reassure her that we will work together to fix things. Perhaps it is more concerned about his relationship with me, his boss at the time, than it is to solve the problem. Would it surprise you to know that she would prefer a relationship-oriented style of communication? (We call this style Anchor.)

As you can imagine this scenario, we can guess that there would have been like two ships passing in the night. In front of my question and the fact of collection, would probably dissolve in tears, convinced that he really missed. If I realize I need empathy and support before proceeding to the solution of problems, we'll probably make more progress on solving the problem together.

Without an appreciation of these types of differences in style, team members may also misunderstand each other, react badly, and experience unnecessary frustration. A member of my team is extremely deadline driven. He has an endless list of activities and gets most of his satisfaction every day from plowing his way through that list. The tasks he does each day, the better it feels. When you go away at night, his desk is well organized and ready for him to face the challenges of the next day. It 's probably a surprise to hear that he prefers a results-oriented style of communication. (We call this style Achiever.)

Now imagine this achiever working with another team member who loves the creative process. In fact, brainstorming, playing with ideas, and finding creative solutions to consume a good part of his day. If you look in your office, you wonder how you can find anything on his desk. There are stacks of paper all over the world, open to interesting articles in journals, sticky notes with ideas, a collection of books, and a steno pad with notes, lists, random thoughts and important phone numbers. She likes to pop into the office of the Achiever and brainstorming ideas with him. Can you guess which she prefers a communication style that is creative, and certainly no deadline-driven. (We call this style Adventurer.)

If I want to develop synergistic team work, so I must not only select team members who exhibit these different styles, but I must also make sure that appreciate these differences in styles of their teammates. Otherwise, the team will lose a lot 'of time to disagree on the differences in style rather than to negotiate good working strategies that meet the needs of all.

So, as a team leader, where you should begin? Consider inviting each team member to share some results with a few other team members in a team meeting. As a team member who speaks of these proud moments, all the other records the gifts, talents and skills that have proven to be successful.

For example, imagine that the Achiever describes his achievement of completing the marathon in New York. He describes the daily training he has done, the training plan was developed, the goals set, his commitment to run the race despite the unusually high heat on race day, and satisfaction to meet his personal goal: run a marathon in under 4 minutes. Team members may notice the gifts, talents and abilities, such as goal setting, perseverance, commitment, results-oriented, discipline and self-directed. As you notice these positive qualities, you begin to see what their fellow team member has to offer to the team.

Next, the team to consider the introduction of communication styles or behavior. A Netspeed Leadership, we offer three hours of training module called Working with the styles of communication to help organizations develop an awareness of differences in style, the language of appreciation, and the ability to capitalize on these differences. Since each team member begins to understand his preferences and his moves from judging others who have different styles, appreciate and build on these differences in style, your team starts to mature. And your job as team leader becomes just a little 'easier .......