When I ask leaders, “What’s your biggest challenge managing your team?” the most common answer is communication. Despite the abundance of information, communication at work remains a significant hurdle. Why?
Two major barriers often stand in the way:
- A lack of understanding about team members and their basic drives.
- A lack of structure for high-quality conversations.
Know Your Team
Effective communication starts with truly knowing your team—not just their roles, but who they are as individuals. Our natural drives influence behavior, and understanding these drives helps reduce assumptions and judgments.
The Predictive Index, a tool I frequently use, highlights four basic drives that shape behavior:
- Dominance: How collaborative or independent we are.
- Extraversion: Whether we’re energized or drained by interactions.
- Patience: Our preferred pace—steady or fast. This also deals with the amount of change we can tolerate simultaneously.
- Formality: How much structure we prefer.
Understanding these drives helps teams navigate behaviors objectively, reducing workplace drama caused by unfounded conclusions. (Contact me here to learn more about Predictive Index.)
Shift From Conclusions to Behaviors
Consider this scenario: A team member consistently turns in error-filled documents. The behavior? They submit flawed work despite reminders. The conclusion? They must not care about their quality of work or even their job.
Focusing on conclusions creates drama and hampers progress. Instead, focus on the actual behavior, which opens the door to productive conversations and growth without triggering defensiveness.
Structure for Quality Conversations
A solid structure for conversations can transform communication. The Situational Leadership (SLII) model offers a four-step framework I use frequently in conversations:
- Connect: Build rapport and trust. State intentions out loud.
- Align: Clarify expectations and goals. Check for agreement or misunderstanding.
- Learn: Provide necessary support and training once gaps are identified.
- Reconnect: Follow up to ensure understanding and progress.
While this approach may seem time-consuming, it saves time in the long run by fostering meaningful conversations that drive change.
Communication is a challenge, but teams can go from merely surviving to thriving with the right tools and structure. If you’d like to learn more about improving your team’s and your own communication, let’s connect!
