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

The Maine Chapter of the Association for Talent Development is hosting a workshop: Understanding Communication Styles–Key to Collaboration in the Workplace, where I’ll be presenting to their membership.  ATD is a nonprofit organization, promoting workplace training and development, and is part of the national organization. They meet monthly in Portland, Maine. To learn more about the organization and the workshop, click here.

There are many ways to apply the Communication Styles Framework in the workplace. Guiding the professional development conversation is one of them. By identifying processing strengths and challenges, you create a foundation for learning new skills with a clear pathway to achievement.

On Tuesday September 16th, I’ll be at Eastern Maine Community College teaching managers how to use the CSF to guide professional development conversations.  To learn more, click here.