Most of us are familiar with the techniques that help with effective communication – active listening, not interrupting, clarifying questions, paraphrasing, withholding judgment, etc. These all contribute (when you remember to use them) to effective communication, defined as when the sender and receiver of information interpret that information in the same way.

I think, however, that in today’s environment we’re really struggling with that last part. Too often conversations turn into interpreting information “my way” instead of listening to the other person and trying to find common ground. And some conversations, especially if they’re about current events, can’t even get started. I have a friend who cannot even broach the subject of current events with one of her family members because they are on opposite poles of the political spectrum. He just shuts her down. I’ve heard other similar examples. Some have completely ended relationships.

Is this really the way we want to live? In this Year of Possibilities, how about the possibility that we might learn something from listening and trying to understand someone else’s point of view. Why do they think that? What are their hopes and fears? What are the outcomes they’d like to see? I think we might find that what we want is similar, but the approach may be different. If we can’t listen or if we aren’t allowed to speak, how do we find out what we have in common so we can move forward in a more civilized way?

There was an article in the Huffington Post recently that I think expressed this really well. The author, a professor at Oregon State University, grew up in a conservative, working class family, but became more progressive over the years. She writes directly to people in communities like the one she grew up in and asks, “are you willing to have the conversation? Is it more important to you to win than to do good? Or can we build coalitions? Put the needs and rights of all others above ideologies?”

Just think how much more we will learn from listening and being curious rather than from telling and needing to be right. Just think of the possibilities…

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.” – Dalai Lama

Till next time,

Karen

The post Start the Conversation and Unleash the Possibilities appeared first on PeopleThink.

The key to finding harmony in those “different notes” on the team is recognizing…well, more importantly, accepting… that others may have a different approach to solving problems, to communicating, to making decisions, to working. Leaders need to lay the groundwork for productive dissonance. Team members need to develop awareness around their own style and then learn to recognize and adapt to others. Here are some tips for recognizing and adapting in some typical team interactions.

Team meetings. Extraverts speak to think, and are quite comfortable launching and bouncing around numerous ideas and comments in quick succession. Some of these never land at all and extraverts are OK with that. Introverts, on the other hand, think to speak. They prefer to listen and reflect on one idea at a time. How to adapt: Extraverts, slow down. Breathe. Put the ideas on a whiteboard so team members can begin to reflect on them. Introverts, take some time before the meeting to think through your ideas on the topic so you can be prepared to add them to the list. Propose a structure for prioritizing and narrowing the field of ideas so each can be reviewed and discussed by the whole team.

Team building. Extraverts are energized by other people, and often look at team building as an opportunity to socialize with the entire team. And anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity of the event. The more the merrier. Introverts, on the other hand, prefer smaller groups and as a result tend to build deeper relationships. For them, team building happens one one-on-one get-together at a time. How to adapt: Extraverts, recognize that all-team socials are not the only way to bring the team closer together. Consider small group lunches and other, lower-key team building alternatives. Introverts, attend at least one team social, even if you don’t stay for long.

Team work. Extraverts favor working collaboratively, surrounded by lots of buzz and activity. Open work environments with lots of interactions during the day are just fine, in fact energizing for them. Introverts, on the other hand, prefer quiet workspaces with plenty of opportunities to work solo and spend time in reflection and deep concentration. How to adapt: Extraverts, resist the temptation to interrupt your introvert teammate to chit chat or seek feedback on an idea. Instead, schedule lunch or a specific time to get together. And make the suggestion via email. Introverts, recognize that some ideas are just too great to contain! If you absolutely DO NOT want to be disturbed or need time to recharge, consider working in a conference room for a few hours.

Making the effort to recognize and appreciate other team members’ work styles, preferences and hot buttons, and helping them understand yours is perhaps the best team building strategy of all!

Till next time,

Karen

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The post Turning Team Conflict into Productive Discussions appeared first on PeopleThink.

As a team leader, it’s easy to fall into like = harmony thinking.  Avoid conflict. Get to the performing stage quicker. Shorten the decision cycle. And yet, without giving air to those different notes – different ideas, strengths, approaches, views – you miss the opportunity to create something innovative and new. Same ol’, same ol’ produces the same ol’, same ol’. Every time.

Consider this scenario.

Mike is about to meet for the first time with a temporary project team he’ll be heading up for the next several months. The members were assigned to him, so he had no input into their selection.  He’s disappointed that he wasn’t asked to pull together a team from “his” people, who think just like him. Life would be so much easier. He hasn’t met any of the team yet, but he’s spoken with four of their managers and has made some notes.

Robert. Quick-thinking. Direct. Not afraid of conflict or challenging the status quo. Confident and decisive. Track record of meeting deadlines and staying within budget. Competitive. Task-focused.

Yolanda. Lots of ideas. Good at creating a vision and inspiring others to follow. Outgoing and friendly.  Likes variety and flexibility. Tends to change topics quickly during discussions. Relationship-focused.

Gary. Quiet and reserved. Great listener. Works to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be heard. Good at coordinating efforts and maintaining strong relationships. Strong focus on values.

Barb. Analytical and detail-oriented. Excellent at ensuring all bases are covered. Processes information by asking questions. Lots of questions. Takes a systematic approach to decision-making.

Mike wonders how he will ever be able to meld these diverse styles together to complete the project.  He worries that Robert will compete with his leadership, and that Barbara will get too caught up in the details to get anything done.  And how will Yolanda and Gary work with the other two?

Mike decides that the only way forward is to embrace the differences instead of fearing them. And a magical thing happens. Yes, there are some conflicts at the start – as there are on all teams – but those conflicts, and the different approaches, perspectives, talents, ideas, and strengths harmonize into a final product that is far superior to anything Mike in his monotone world had ever seen.  Because…

Yolanda created a vision.

Robert kept them on track.

Gary ensured they were heard.

Barb let nothing fall through the cracks.

Want to learn more about individual styles and the value each can add to your team? Contact PeopleThink: 415.440.7944 or kcolligan@peoplethink.biz.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Individual Styles and High Performing Teams appeared first on PeopleThink.

Barriers to communication
Communication is effective when the sender and receiver of information interpret that information in the same way. This is harder to achieve without the visual signals and immediate feedback you get when communicating in person. Add in different first languages, varied business cultures, and diverse frames of reference and, well, it can be a train wreck. Anticipate and resolve barriers to communication.

Tools that don’t work. If your web or teleconference technology fails during a team meeting it not only impacts communication, it impedes work progress. Thoroughly research and test communication technology before investing in it. Then test it again before each use. If you don’t, it will fail. Guaranteed.

Perceiving is believing. We each have our own “Ladder of Inference” (Chris Argyris, organizational psychologist) which shapes the way we interpret data. This ladder is based on our upbringing, our culture, our values, our life experiences, our education, etc. It often causes us to reach conclusions based on our beliefs rather than reality. Don’t assume! Ask questions to clarify. Recognize that everyone has their own “ladder” and strive to understand intent.

A shortage of characters. Let’s face it. There are ideas, information, concepts, clarifying statements, apologies, directions, kudos that cannot be expressed in 140 characters. Be concise, certainly. But use an adequate number of well-chosen words to say what you mean to say. Think about how what you say is going to impact the other person. Your attempt to be brief may be interpreted as being rude.

Tips for effective communication
Pick up the phone! In a virtual team situation it becomes very easy to rely on email or instant messaging to communicate. Especially when you’re dealing with different time zones or work schedules. Email is one-way communication! If the recipient misinterprets your words, they don’t have the benefit of your body language or tone to shape the meaning. And by the time they reply with a clarifying question the damage may already have been done. Pick up the phone! If there’s a chance of information being misinterpreted, if it needs to be discussed, if it’s bad news, if there’s an issue that needs to be resolved, pick up the phone. Engage in a two-way conversation.

Build and nurture relationships. On any team, conflicts are bound to arise. However, if you make the effort to build and nurture relationships on the team (did I say pick up the phone?) you’ll have a much easier time dealing with those conflicts.

Acknowledge diversity. Recognize and appreciate that individuals on the team bring diverse skill sets, experiences and ideas to the team. Acknowledge their varied communication styles and adapt yours to promote understanding.

Confirm understanding. End meetings and key conversations by confirming that everyone is on the same page and understands actions and next steps. Unlike wine, misinformation does not improve with age.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Virtual Team Communication – Pick Up the Phone! appeared first on PeopleThink.

We all know that any given project, or product development effort, requires a variety of skills sets and experience – behold the cross functional team. But beyond that, our inclination is to put people together who have similar personalities; who seem to “click.” We think that their natural alignment will provide harmony and accelerate productivity. But harmony doesn’t always guarantee the best results. In fact, recent studies have shown that teams made up of diverse personalities are more innovative, better at solving complex problems, and are higher performing overall.
Diverse teams perform better because they bring multiple perspectives, experiences and approaches to the table. These varying approaches and thought processes create a dynamic that is better equipped to deal with complex problems and challenges. Additionally, diverse personality traits within a team offset one another and build on each other for synergy and innovation. A diverse team is much less likely to fall into “groupthink” which can actually impede performance.

Every team goes through a four-stage development process – forming, storming, norming and performing (Bruce W. Tuckman). As part of the forming process, leaders should become aware of their own work and communication style, and strive to identify and understand the styles of those on the team. Create some discussion around individual work style preferences, communication styles and perceptions of the team goal. Communicate the value that each style can bring to the achievement of that goal. Set up standards that provide for clear communication and sensitivity to the different styles. Establish a process for dealing with conflict.

Learn from those whose style is different from yours. They can teach you to improve in your weak areas, and you can coach them to improve their skills in areas where you’re strong. As the team continues to move through the development stages, continue to recognize and value their diversity.

Let them know, loud and clear, that ALL of them are necessary.

Until next time,

Karen

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