Thinking Out Loud

The Communication Styles Framework is an ideal team development tool. It draws out the natural talents of team members, giving them a straightforward way to identify those talents and immediately make use of them in a collaborative environment.

Fast Company published my article this past week (click here) outlining the CS Framework, incorporating the communication styles inventory (which is research supported: CCI-R), and demonstrating the practical use for team members.

When I’m working with a team (project, management, or department), the CS Framework forms a foundation for not only drawing out the natural talents of the participants, but it helps with interpersonal problem-solving, planning for presentations, aligning leadership and communication styles, and guiding professional development conversations.

Unlike some other team-building approaches, the CS model is tied directly to the immediate project/task/goal of the team.  Because of this, there is strong reinforcement of new learning and the collaborative process that evolves remains durable.

If you are at the top of the organizational ladder, there’s a big risk of isolation. Even if you create more of a horizontal organizational chart, you’re still in the buck-stops-here category. No one else has the full weight or responsibility for certain decisions and functions, although good leaders do know how to share power, responsibility and accountability.  Read More

Co-worker conflict is not uncommon and sometimes it escalates with tension running high. Now what? An article I had published in Fast Company (click here) offers some guidelines on how to repair broken communication. Navigating conflict is never easy and learning how to revisit difficult conversations is a necessity, not just in the workplace but in our personal lives, too.

We have a tendency to mentally rehearse anticipated difficult conversations. Often with these we tell someone off, explaining why we acted a certain way or what they did wrong. Frequently we take a self-righteous tone. These conversations rehearsed are usually not the ones we end up having, if indeed we have them at all. An exercise like this is a good way to blow off steam, making it possible to focus on what really might be constructive, especially if we remember that there are two people in the conversation.  Read More