Mark was enthusiastic about using the Communication Styles Framework to approach his marital problems with Martha. Martha, however, was more cautious. He easily identified with the interpersonal component and could see Martha’s intrapersonal strengths, and it seemed clear to him that this difference was causing communication problems in their relationship. Read More
What’s the big picture look like, Jonas?
Words, Luanne—what words do we need here?
What do you know about our customer, Jeff, in terms of what really matters to them?
How can we line up the pieces to this to make it hang together, Will?”
Are there some symbols that pop to mind, Sarah?
Jon, what values are we really talking about?
These are natural questions that evolve when the members of a project team understand each other’s individual processing/communication styles. The questions tap into the strengths of each one, taking into account a range of skills in different domains. Words, images, numbers, feelings, client relationship, the big picture, the structure—these “languages” come together as this team develops a project for their customer. Read More
Introverts and extroverts, it seems obvious which camp you are in by simple observation. Do you walk into a social situation and seek out others for conversation, enjoying the back and forth of friendly discussion? Or do you enter the room more cautiously, perhaps having a conversation with one or two others after some feelings of awkwardness? Let’s be careful not to stereotype, remembering that many of us exhibit qualities of both depending on the situation. Still, there is some basic truth that each of us belong more in one camp than the other, but how important is this? Read More
It’s hard to know how and when to follow-up with someone when there is interpersonal conflict. Sometimes we put it off and sometimes we launch back into the discussion. In both instances we are hoping for something better. If we put it off, we risk the appearance of not caring or thinking of ourselves as a procrastinator. And if we follow-up right away, we can be perceived as aggressive and trying to get the best of the other. Read More