Have you ever felt frustrated when talking with a co-worker or supervisor? You are definitely not alone. You may find yourself working with two other people and together you represent three different communication styles.
What if you have a relationship-oriented communication style and one colleague is results-oriented and another colleague identifies as process-oriented? You will naturally want to spend varying amounts of time talking about what is most important to you. While you may want to get to know each other first, one colleague may want to consider all of the possible details and clearly outline the procedure while the other person just wants to get the project launched and completed. How do you meet each individual need?
Remembering the value in each style is extremely important. Each person brings a unique perspective that may be extremely beneficial, and necessary, to the overall success of any project. What if the relationship-oriented person fails to be clear about expectations and does not set forth a plan for meeting those expectations? What if the results-oriented communicator fails to show personal understanding for the people impacted? You all likely need each other for ultimate success.
Recognizing your own communication style and learning about other styles makes a difference. However, conflicts may still arise regarding goals, processes, and job performance.
Conflict resolution skills training and conflict coaching offer clarity and confidence in communicating in these situations. Mediation supports important workplace conversations by providing a safe space where you may speak your truth, be heard, and create ideas for resolution.
