Effective Communication
How to Communicate to Be Understood
Mark will naturally choose to communicate in in the way that is optimal for him, thus allowing himself to express his thought sin an optimal manner. The problem, however, arises when Lisa receives his message, be it a phone call or email or a face to face discussion.
That's because every team member’s working style (and thus their communication style) is different. Lisa's optimal way of receiving new information may not be compatible with Mark's way of communicating.
What
All in all, there are over 40 elements that make up an individual's personal working style, and about half of them have a direct bearing on the way in which the individual communicates with others. We’ve already discussed the visual-auditory and the sequential-holistic disparities.
Some of the others include:
- Time of day (some people tend to think better first thing in the morning, others do not).
- Setting (formal or informal - they both mean different things to different people and can make them feel uneasy).
- Mobility (some people think better when literally on their feet).
- Light (the lighting in the room should vary according to the needs of the individuals. It really is a myth that brighter light is better. People who prefer dimmer lighting find bright fluorescent light stressful and bothersome).
- Background noise (to some people, a silent environment is the only way to work, but others may feel energised by the friendly hum of a busy office or by quiet music).
- Speed (some people like to make quick decisions, others need time to reflect on what's been said before responding).
- Content (is humour going to be appreciated? What about a real-life example or an anecdote? Is a list a good idea? Bullet points? Graphs and pictures? Is it better to use a set of slides or one really good physical model of the concept?)
Research confirms that every person has his or her unique working style: that is, the way in which they best perform. Barbara Prashnig of PSS in New Zealand, and an international education expert, agrees.
“People can do virtually anything if allowed to do it through their own personal strengths,” says Prashnig in an interview with Suite101.com. “And that includes communication. We all communicate through our ears, eyes, hands and body. But some people absorb information through their ears a lot better than through their eyes, and vice-versa.”
One working style is not better than another and that there is no optimal communication style. According to Prashnig, “It’s not true that those who communicate in a sequential fashion communicate better than those who prefer the holistic way, for example. What’s true is that those who prefer communicating in a sequential fashion will communicate better in a sequential fashion than in a holistic one, and will respond better to somebody who can speak their sequential language.”
How
So how does one turn working styles into a business outcome?
After responding to a series of statements, a person will receive a report that identifies their particular strengths, flexibilities and non-preferences. This will help them recognise and control the elements that can enhance their productivity and fulfilment at work. Some elements they'll be able to change (keep the desk tidy, get a desk lamp, invest in ear plugs), others will need management’s approval (scheduling of important meetings to a time that’s productive for most of the team, taking work home to think it over in the evening).
Says Dr. Helmut Jasch, an ex Marketing Executive for IBM Europe, when asked about Working Styles in an interview conducted for this article: “The most important advantage, however, will come from your self-awareness. If you realise that you prefer to communicate in points, and you’re trying to gather information that’s new to you, number your questions when you email them to your colleagues, and ask them to respond in point form.”
Of course, if a colleague is seeking information, the polite (and smart) thing to do is to respond to him in the style that he or she prefers, be it email, face to face, bullet points or overviews.
Communication Is Fun
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