Know what your communication preferences are. Try this quick Assessment to increase your self-awareness and learn about your peers and colleagues' communication preferences.
PLAN A LEARNING EVENT (1 hour):
Organize a Lunch & Learn. Invite your team/colleagues to complete the assessment prior to the Lunch & Learn. Ask them to write down their dominant style on a note card of corresponding color to their style (blue, red, yellow, green). Also ask them to bring their scores to the session.
Foster discussion around a relatable communication situation (see below for an example).
Scenario: You must comunicate to your team a change in project scope, including a shorter deadline.
Exercise:
- Pair up with someone with the same dominant style. Discuss the strengths and liabilities of your style when communicating the above scenario.
- Pair up with someone who has an opposite style to you. Discuss how you each would communicate the scenario to someone with a different style.
Debrief: Discuss as a group the following questions:
- What style is your manager/direct report?
- What did you learn about yourself?
- What did you learn about someone with a different style?
This assessment comes from The Brinkman Method. Check out this Forbes article for more analysis. Listen to this Tedx Talk by Scott Schwefel to learn more about communication styles.
