Is very important to identify co workers or employee behavior. Developing skills such as self awareness, empathy and self-regulation will help with communication at all times to turn into a positive turn around.
Tiffany, Knowing another's learning styles is important in communication. What about the communication style?
Dr. Jean Norris
Tiffany, Knowing another's learning styles is important in communication. What about the communication style?
Dr. Jean Norris
Miriam, It's great to see that you really get to know your team. It is so important to identify all the different learning and communication styles on your team, great job. It's clear you really care!
Dr. Jean Norris
I think by looking more carefully at learning styles I can begin to understand why he/she may feel, think, and react to others in certain ways, and why he/she may feel, think, and react to me in certain ways.
I have realized that every member of my team has different personality. As their personalities are different, so are their communicating styles. A leader needs to identify each of his/her team members learning/communicating style in order to make sure any important information, either for an individual task or team project, is understood completely. I try to conduct my presentations using various tools in order to reach every team member. From power points to short videos and hand outs, I try to give different approaches during my presentation in order to capture everyone's attention. I always ask for any question at the end of my presentation and sometimes have team members explain to me our teams desired goal for our task at hand.
Steven, It is amazing then you are aware of communication styles how much you notice it in everyday life! It can be tricky if you cannot identify it, so it's great that you are using a mix. Keep it up!
Dr. Jean Norris
I did not realize how often I faced this issue in everyday work and life. When I am teaching or trying to communicate, I often have to cast what I want to say into various visual and auditory forms. Doing so often helps the other person understand while working with them on a difficult topic. Rarely do I ever face someone who’s “one kind of learner†and I end up mixing visual, auditory, and movement (usually working through a shared example) as to get the “Ah ha!†moment out of someone. Usually I have to mix a presentation, a group example, and then a chat as to appeal to most people and get them engaged. And often, I have to repeat a visual-auditory-activity cycle a few time as to get things to click.
It also appears in everyday life—to my surprise. Many people I know learn and share “by doingâ€. They somehow build a little shared world while working hands on together upon a project.
Without the socially constructed little world of sharing, there’d be little hope of sharing anything. So, I really have to try to talk, do, and show all at the same time as to have the shared context.
But… this makes a lot of sense. It’s not a big surprise because it’s natural. People are adept in all three forms of learning and will use all three on demand. I think the trick is finding simple and sound ways to integrate all three into needed experiences.
guadalupe, WOW! What a great story. Thank you so much for sharing in the forum!
Dr. Jean Norris
Definitely. One employee in particular was always extremely shy and did not offer much feedback. Once I changed my approach in a way that met his needs, he started opening up and he actually contributes some of the best ideas to our department. He is truly shining where as before no one took notice.
guadalupe, Great awareness! It sounds like you care greatly about your staff. Have you found your staff is responding positively to your communication styles?
Dr. Jean Norris
I have a team of 5 employees and I have learned that they all learn differently. Some I can simply send an email and I know that the work will get done. Others I have to send step by step instructions with pictures marking how I want something done and then I have others that I have to sit down with them and show them the process and have them do it themselves. Everyone responds to the information differently and its my job to make sure that I am relaying the message to suit everyone's learning style.
Pamela, It's great that you have taken the time to identify the needs and capabilities of your co-workers/employees. It sounds like you really value a great working environment and have created that. Keep up the good work!
Dr. Jean Norris
Understanding how a co-worker learns, communicates and even manages their own responsibilities has helped me evolve at my organization. In my role I have to interact with pretty much everyone due to my responsibilities and if I want to meet my deadlines I had to learn how everyone else ticks. I’ve learned who I can easily get a last minute request from and who on the other hand would need a timeframe.
I also make a point in my compliance presentations to incorporate the different learning styles when I am presenting important but sometimes boring information. My co-workers with different learning styles are good at not only providing me feedback but that are also ensuring me that they get it!
Suzanne,
Excellent awareness! It is so important to be aware of others styles. Thank you for sharing in the forum.
Dr. Jean Norris
To effectively convey your instructions you have to give them instructions in the format that they can receive. For example if they are auditory learners you need to not just hand them a memo. Read it to them or give them verbal instructions.
Excellent awareness Fiona! When we understand learning and communication styles it allows us to consider new options for the manner in which we communicate. Thank you for the examples of what you will do differently in the future and thank you for your post!
This course has been a real eye-opener for me. I have realized that without considering how a colleague learns or communicates that I am sub-consciously thinking they're acting in a certain way when in-fact it may just be attributed to their learning. For instance, a colleague of mine is always needing time frames and often puts off tasks to the last minute. I have always attributed this to thinking she is just not interested in the task or does not want to complete it so waits until the last minute to complete it. I realize now that this was ignorant on my behalf. After going through this course I have realized that maybe that is just her way of doing things and her way of processing information. Maybe she is a visual learner and needs to write down dates and maybe she is writing all her tasks in a calendar which helps keep her organized.
In turn, realizing this has helped me to communicate more effectively with her. I also know now that when I communicate with her and she asks me for a deadline one of the best things I can do is give her two options (both that I am happy with) and have her choose. This provides us both with flexibility and I am happy with either choice (since I'm the one that has provided both of them).
Having employees paraphrase what you have said is a very powerful communication tool. How do you identify those employees that need that extra time to communicate?
Communication style of team members is very important on how you react to them. I also have to step back and really listen to the communicator in order to really understand how to reply to them. I also find myself having the employee paraphrase what I have stated, so it is not misunderstood or misinterpreted. I know with some employees I need to take the extra time to communicate with them because that is their style and some employees like communication to be direct and to the point.
