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Communicating with and Motivating a Team
Even if you are not the team leader, chances are you will still need to manage
certain components related to your portion of the project. Remember,
communication is key. On some teams, the primary form of communication
takes place in meetings and is memorialized in meeting minutes. Other teams
communicate regularly through email or on conference calls. Sometimes on
small teams, communication is very informal and takes place in cubicles,
lunchrooms, and in passing. Although this type of impromptu communication
can yield important discoveries, keep in mind that off the cuff communications
may not always involve all participants, so making notes about those
discussions to share later with the rest of the team is important.
Teams are made up of individuals with different communication
styles. Have you ever felt like no matter how much you tried, you
just couldn’t get through to some people? There could be many
reasons why you struggled to be understood, but one possibility
is that your communication style is different from the person
you are trying to communicate with. The book “Men are
from Mars Women are from Venus” outlines some of the
communication differences between males and females.
Pop culture is always deciphering the best way to reach
millennials, Generation X, and Baby boomers. By knowing how best
to communicate with your team mates, and by knowing how to adjust your
communications to match the preferred style of the recipient, you will have a better
experience on the team and become a more valuable team member.
Research into communication styles began in the 1940s and revealed that there are
four styles of communication. The styles include the
Controller
,
Promoter
,
Supporter
,
and
Analyzer
. Each person tends to communicate in the style that they prefer since
it comes naturally to them. However, if you want to be the most effective, you
should practice altering your style so you can reach as many people as possible.
Team members that communicate using a
Controller
style tend to focus on the
conclusion and results and only provide details if asked. Their communication style is
direct and to the point. They do not include pleasantries in their communications
and are not verbose. They are the “just the facts” type of communicators.
Team members that communicate using a
Promoter
style tend to express ideas and
conclusions using stories and metaphors. They use examples. Their communications
are laced with niceties. They want to know about the subject of the
communication, as well as about the person sending it.
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Section 9 – Working in Teams