Having a dependable team is important to success. As a team leader, you have to be able to rely on your team members to know their role, and to communicate any potential challenges. But good communication practices come from the top, and your team is likely looking to you for cues.
Being able to communicate effectively is key to having a successful team, but knowing how to communicate with other team members can be a hurdle for many team leaders. Often, it’s not what you say, but the way you say it that is that most important. Everyone communicates differently. Knowing your style and tendencies is a first step to good communication – and knowing more about your team’s communication style helps to make communication more effective.
In Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Four Tendencies, she asks the simple question – ‘How do I respond to expectations?’. By knowing how you respond to outer and inner expectations you gain insight into yourself. When you know how others respond to expectations, you can understand them better and how to communicate with them more effectively.
“People fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so understanding this framework lets us make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress and burnout, and engage more effectively.”
-Gretchen Rubin
Author – “The Four Tendencies”
Curious as to which tendencies you gravitate toward most? Take the quiz on the author’s site to learn more about your own communication style!