Communications - getting it right
You may have been there: "they do not get what I'm trying to say". Or "they are hopeless at getting their point across"
There are as many books about communications as there are stars in the firmament. But it need not be so complicated - this section provides a model you can use to improve how you communicate whether in training, sales, internal processes or your supply chain.
How you communicate depends on many factors, including: personality, position in an organisation (owner, manager, team member, specialist), the role you are in, and your values and expectations. And, of course, these change over time. The challenge is to find a way through all this so that you can get your message across effectively - how you can interact with people so that they "get" what you are about.
Below is a simple table which provides a framework:
People who say "tell me what to do/key points
People who want to know all about you, very sociable
People who want to know all the detail
People who are very sociable, but steady
stereotype: civil servant.
FAST PACED.
SLOW PACED..
TASK ORIENTATED
PEOPLE ORIENTATED
So what does this mean for you?
Imagine you are someone who identifies as being in top right hand box, and you are talking to someone in the top left hand box. You start engaging in social conversation, perhaps asking about their family.
Now Imagine you identify as someone in the top left hand box. You just want to know the top things to do and get on with it. You start to get irritated with the person in the right hand box – and the person in the right hand box feels the other person is rude and abrupt
So when talking with someone, you need to be aware of what sort of style they like working with: fast or slow paced, task or people orientated. There is no point in forcing your style on someone else - they will just switch off.
Where to use this framework...
Sales
Understanding how to respond to a prospect's style can make a massive difference.
Teams.
Working together - how to build those relationships and clear understanding of how every team member works
Management
"Giving instructions", 1:1s, dealing with feedback will all depend on everyone understanding each others' style that works for them.
Supply chain/customer relationships
Working with people outside the organisation - communicating effectively, make people at ease, building solid relationships and understanding
WHAT TO DO NEXT...
To find out where you and your team are on the table above and to take approriate action, there is a straightward system you can use called "DISC". It involves the 4 steps outline below:
Decide who would benefit from understanding where they are in the table and working on their communication skills.
The user complete a 24 question yes/no questionnaire taking about 20 minutes
User(s) receive a comprehensive report
Debrief and further action.
Getting started -
Click on the button below and I will get back to asap.
ps how much does it all cost? £26 +vat per user, and group reports (ie summary for whole team) from £50+vat. You can do this on your own, but I can help you brief and debrief - from £200+vat.