Thinking Out Loud

Communication Styles Teamwork

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.