Different Styles / Different Communication Focus / Different Approach to Work

Y o u v e g o t t e n y o u r f o u r s c o r e s . Wh a t d o t h e y m e a n ? There are four basic communication styles: T = Tells someone who is very direct and brief in their communication E = Engages someone who likes to talk with people and persuade them A = Analyzes someone who is very detailed and factual in their conversation M = Mediates someone who likes to talk with people and get to know them as individuals The letter which you scored the highest is your primary style at your current job. You were asked t o a n s w e r t h e q u e s t i o n s i n r e l a t i o n t o y o u r c u r r e n t j o b , s o t h a t s w h a t t h e s c o r e r e f l e c t s . You may use other styles at home, with friends, or in different work environments. Few people get a 48 and 3 zeros. Most of us are a blend of styles, but most have one or two primary styles. If you had a tie for the highest score, or your two high scores were very close together, then you are comfortable in both styles and tend to move between them depending on the situation. There is not a good or bad style. Each style has strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, there is not a good or bad score. A score that is even for all 4 styles means you are more flexible in your use of these styles, but y o u d o n t h a v e a s t r e n g t h i n a n y p a r t i c u l a r s t y l e . Ah i g h s c o r e i n o n e o r t w o s t y l e s m e a n s y o u have strengths in that area, but you also have weaknesses in one or more of the other styles. S o w h i l e t h e r e s n o p a r t i c u l a r s c o r e t o s t r i v e f o r , i t i s important to understand your individual score and what that tells you about how you interact with others. Understanding these styles can help you work more effectively with people who have styles that are different from yours. The four styles together spell TEAM. The best work team is one where all four styles are represented and where everyone respects and values the differences among the styles. The styles influence how we approach our work and our co-workers. Differences in these styles can provide a healthy range of opinions, and can also be the basis of conflict and irritation with co-workers. page 1 of 7 2012 Krieger Solutions, LLC www.kriegersolutions.com 518-895-2939

Understanding Different Work and Communication Styles T.E.A.M. Having an understanding of these styles has helped me reframe the way I look at interactions I have with people at work. Once I understood my primary style I began to see why some people w e r e e a s y t o w o r k w i t h ( p e o p l e w i t h m y p r i m a r y s t y l e ) a n d o t h e r s w e r e m o r e d i f f i c u l t . T h e s e others simply approach work and work interactions from a very different foundation. Where an A wants to dive into the details and start tearing things apart, the E wants to get the big picture clarified, the T just wants to get the task done, and the M wants to build a consensus. Any one of these approaches might be just fine for the person with that style, but it is uncomfortable and unhelpful for people with other styles. These communication and work styles are based on two factors: whether you are more focused on people or on tasks, and whether you work and talk quickly or slowly. (See the charts on the following pages for more information about each style). Compare your score from the self-assessment tool to the information on the next two pages. See how well your high score(s) line up with how you see yourself. I f i t s a g o o d f i t , then think about the people you work with who might be highest in the other styles. Consider how you can adapt your style to better connect with these people. If y o ud o n t t h i n k y o u r s c o r e i s a good fit, read through the materials again. Our experience with thousands of people who v e t a k e n this assessment is that when t h e r e s u l t s d i d n t i n i t i a l l y seem to fit, upon reflection, nearly everyone agreed that the assessment results proved to be more accurate than their initial assumptions about themselves. If after further reflection yo u r r e s u l t s s t i l l d o n t s e e ml i k e a f i t , consider that these scores represent your style at work, not necessarily your core personality. You may be one style at home and a different style at work. Our styles are adaptations of our personality. We can adapt t o f i t t h e d e m a n d s o f a j o b ( e . g . j o b s t h a t r e q u i r e m o r e d e t a i l w i l l r e s u l t i n a h i g h e r A s c o r e ) , and we can adapt to better fit in with the culture in the workplace (e.g. a work site where people tell jokes during the day and socialize together will r e s u l t i n a h i g h e r E s c o r e .

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Understanding Different Work and Communication Styles T.E.A.M.

DIFFERENT STYLES / DIFFERENT FOCUS

TASK ORIENTED

Tells

Analyzes

Slogan: Get things done

Slogan: Get things right

Wants: Results / Autonomy

F A S T E R P A C E D

Wants: Accuracy / Details Likes: Answers; Time for questions/discussions Dislikes: Poor quality / Rushed decisions Challenges: Working quickly, Connecting with people
S L O W E R P A C E D

Likes: Short, quick, direct conversations Dislikes: Indecision, Work not getting done Challenges: Accuracy, Listening

Engages
Slogan: Do it differently

Mediates

Slogan: Do it together

Wants: Meaning / Creativity Likes: Opportunity to talk; to persuade; to change Dislikes: Routine, rigidity, Isolation Challenges: Listening, especially for details / facts

Wants: Teamwork / Harmony Likes: Being friendly, Taking a personal interest in coworkers Dislikes: Conflict / Rapid change Challenges: Confrontation, Giving critical feedback

PEOPLE ORIENTED

Read the descriptions on the next page. See if most of the bullets under your highest score are a good match for you. Y o u d o n t n e e d t o a g r e e w i t h e v e r y b u l l e t , j u s t w i t h m o s t o f t h e m . These are general descriptors of people with that style. If they generally describe your actions and feelings at work, then the score is a good match.

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Understanding Different Work and Communication Styles T.E.A.M.

How well do you match? TELLS / DIRECTS

concise and direct in language d o e s n t h e s i t a t et os p e a k h i s / h e r mi n d work and task oriented (vs. social) action-oriented problem solver hates to waste time (be off task) business-like in communication ma y s e e m b o s s y t oo t h e r s quick to make decisions independent / autonomous easily bored, needs challenges

ENGAGES / INFLUENCES
optimisticsees lots of possibilities,
looks for opportunities enthusiastic and friendly very verbaltalks in paragraphs likes to participate in groups c r e a t i v e , t h i n k s o u t s i d et h eb o x wants to be committed to what they do for workneeds meaning thinks intuitively (not step by step) cracks jokes easily - an entertainer can be inspirational/motivational

ANALYZES / DETAILED
systematic, thorough concerned with accuracy and details asks lots of questions task oriented very careful and cautious needs time to think things through looks at things critically does not mind working alone

o e s n t s o c i a l i z emu c h s o me t i me s n o t c o mf o r t a b l ew i t ho t h e r s d open expression of emotion

MEDIATES / EMPATHIZES
nice, considerate, quiet accommodatingwilling to help l i s t e n s w e l l t oo t h e r s t r o u b l e s decorate office like home away from home (pictures, special items, etc.) likes working with others home life is very important to them not very assertive about own needs likes routine and predictability does it well -- cranks out the work

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Understanding Different Work and Communication Styles T.E.A.M.

O K , n o wt h a t y o u v e f o u n d y o u r s t r o n g e s t s t y l e , w h a t d o y o u d o w i t h t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n ? The following table shows the communication preferences of each of the styles. Find your highest style(s) first and again, see if that fits how you like to converse with people at work. Then look at the other styles and see how their preferences can directly conflict with yours.

COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES
TASK ORIENTED

TELLS / DIRECTS
quick, direct communication lots of autonomy skip the friendly pleasantries task focused / to the point

ANALYZES / DETAILED
clear and detailed/defined task focused, orderly/organized skip the friendly pleasantries opportunity to ask questions and explore fully; to reflect

F A S T E R P A C E D

ENGAGES / INFLUENCES
to connect with people to work in groups, be involved freedom to express all their thoughts opportunities to persuade/influence keep the conversation moving

MEDIATES / EMPATHIZES
honesty/sincerity to be accepted and appreciated time to talk with others, not be pushed around harmonious conversations

S L O W E R P A C E D

PEO PLE ORIENTED

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Understanding Different Work and Communication Styles T.E.A.M. The biggest lesson this TEAM tool provides is understanding the differences in the way people approach work tasks and communication. Not everyone likes to work and communicate the way you do! H e r e s a q u i c k e x a m p l e :m y c o l l e a g u e , w h oi s a h i g h As t y l e a s k e d m e t o r e v i e wa m e m o s h e w r o t e . I s c a n n e d i t a n d g a v e i t b a c k t o h e r a n d s a i d l o o k s g o o d . S h e g o t angry and gave it b a c k t o m e a n d s a i d , y o u r e a d i t c a r e f u l l y a n d e d i t i t t o t i g h t e n i t u p ! T h e m e m o w a s f i n e , b u t there were a few minor edits that did tighten it up. As a high A, she was looking for extreme accuracy and quality and wanted a careful review from an outside reviewer. I got home that evening and my wife handed me a poem she had been working on. Remembering the incident at work, I took out my pen and went through and edited it t h o r o u g h l y . My w i f e i s a n Ma n d s h e became angry. She was sharing something personal and wanted me to connect with the poem on that level. S o t h e k e y t o t h i s m o d e l i s t r y i n g t o g e t a s e n s e o f o t h e r p e o p l e s s t y l e s a n d a d a p t i n g y o u r approach to better connect with them. This requires editing the Golden Rule slightly so it reads: Do u n t o o t h e r s a s t h e y w a n t t o b e d o n e u n t o . ( Treat people the way they want to be treated known as the Platinum Rule.) Now back to you many of us think that most people approach the world through a similar mind frame as we do. We view difficult people as people who have it in for us and want to make our life difficult. One key lesson of this model is that some difficult people are just approaching the situation d i f f e r e n t l y t h a n y o u a n d d o n t m e a n t o b e d i f f i c u l t .In fact they may find you to be a difficult person as well. As in the above story I was a difficult person in both situations, even though my intent was positive. I was just trying to do what I thought the writer might want. We need to begin to separate intentions from actions. The actions are indeed difficult, but the intention may be benign. ( T h a t s n o t t o s a y t h a t a l l d i f f i c u l t p e o p l e h a v e g o o d i n t e n t i o n s t h e r e are some out there who do want to give you a hard time!) For you to better understand your style, it might be helpful to think about your work and communication preferences and compare them the preferences of people with other styles. Do you see some clues about how differences in style can lead to difficulty in communicating and working together? What you see as a strength and a preference, others may s e e a s a w e a k n e s s o r b a r r i e r a n d v i c e versa. Be especially careful about the styles in which you scored lowest. You are most likely to have challenges communicating and working with people who score high in these styles. page 6 of 7 2012 Krieger Solutions, LLC www.kriegersolutions.com 518-895-2939

Understanding Different Work and Communication Styles T.E.A.M. We h o p e y o u v e f o u n d t h i s t o b e h e l p f u l . By becoming more skilled with the styles you will be able to: better understand what motivates and frustrates people with different styles, build stronger connections and work more effectively with them, and prevent or more effectively resolve conflicts. I f y o u d l i k e t o l e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e s e s t y l e s , here are some possible next steps: Check out our website: www.kriegersolutions.com for more information about the kinds of training programs we offer. The TEAM tool is used in many of the programs. Email me at alan@kriegersolutions.com if y o u d l i k e t o t a l k w i t h m e a b o u t : individual leadership coaching to help you integrate this model into your work having me conduct a program at your organization announcements about workshops we deliver in your area that addresses this We are writing a book that will provide a lot more information about the TEAM styles and how you can adapt your style to be more effective in interacting with others. Our goal is to have it published in 2013. To be notified about it, email us at: info@kriegersolutions.com. I d b e v e r y i n t e r e s t e d i n y o u r r e a c t i o n t o the on-line self-assessment tool and the TEAM model. Please email me your thoughts: alan@kriegersolutions.com Thanks.

Alan Krieger Alan Krieger is President of Krieger Solutions, LLC. Krieger Solutions is a training and consulting firm that specializes in building stronger organizations by helping people work together more effectively. We provide training in leadership, management, communications skills, team work and time management. We also provide individual coaching for leaders. Alan K r i e g e r d e v e l o p e d t h e T E A Mt o o l a n d i t i s u s e d i n m a n y o f K r i e g e r S o l u t i o n s t r a i n i n g p r o g r a m s and with our individual leadership coaching. For more information, see our web site: www.KriegerSolutions.com Feel free to share this article with colleagues, friends and family. If you share the article, please be sure to include the footer with the copyright notice. If you would like to reprint it in a publication, please contact us for permission we give it pretty freely.

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