How can you balance structure and flexibility when communicating with your team?

1. Clear Objectives: Clearly outline the goal, such as increasing sales by 20% in the next quarter, providing a structured focus for the team. 2. Regular Check-ins: Schedule bi-weekly progress meetings to discuss achievements, address concerns, and ensure everyone is on track. 3.Flexibility Acknowledgment: If a team member proposes an alternative method to streamline a process, be open to testing their suggestion. 4. Encourage Feedback: Create a feedback channel, allowing team members to anonymously share suggestions or concerns, promoting a culture of openness. 5. Adaptable Deadlines: Acknowledge that unexpected events might impact timelines; communicate openly and adjust deadlines accordingly to maintain realistic expectations.

In addition we need to consider also the communication style of each member of the team and how our form of approach will affect the interaction between us. What might be my way of communication, maybe is not the way my teammates receive the information and to be able to balance around my way and each others way will create an impact in the communication process. A team mindset is helpful when dealing with transmitting a message.

In turn I would also add “how do the people that you’re giving feedback to receive such and how do they best communicate. Adaptation in all forms mentioned best tailored to all who are apart my team help give me a better understanding and eclectic style of overall management.

Considering your own communication style as well as your team's communication style is critical to efficient, clear, and precise communication. It's knowing how one receives or gives communication. Once aligned, communication flow will be easier, respectful, and more understanding.

Assess how you typically convey information, whether it's through structured, methodical communication or flexible, adaptable approaches. Solicit feedback from team members and reflect on past interactions to recognize patterns in your communication style. Strive for a balanced approach. Use structure to convey clear directives and essential information while allowing flexibility for open discussions and idea exchange. Adjust your style based on the needs of the situation and the preferences of your team members to foster effective and receptive communication.

COMMUNICATE!!! How do you know what the individuals styles are if you don't ask them. This is step one. Then determine what you can and can't do while you think about your personal style AND the deliverables that are needed with the team. It's all about open communication.

Pay attention to how team members express themselves, handle tasks, and interact with others during meetings or projects. Encourage discussions about preferred communication styles and preferences, possibly through surveys or one-on-one conversations. Employ tools like DISC, Myers-Briggs or other assessments to identify individual communication preferences. Request feedback from team members regarding your communication style and how it aligns or clashes with their preferences. Flexibly adjust your communication approach based on what you've learned, ensuring messages are received and understood effectively by catering to individual styles within the team.

I my experience it is very important to make appointments (online or in person), where you can get to know your team more and listen to their suggestions and allow them to make an impact. Making them feel heard is main key to success of a whole team and lets you know what are their strengths at communicating.

Saber escuchar a tú equipo, podras determinar la forma de comunicarte con ellos, hablar con ellos ser preciso y conciso, determinar las responsabilidades y funciones de cada uno de ellos, no permitir, ni intervenir, ni demandar que parte del equipo sea divido por preferencia a otros, va causar división.

I think that understanding your team's styles is important for effective collaboration. Here are some of my favourite frameworks and tools to help you learn more about your team's styles: DISC Personality Assessment: Framework: DISC classifies people into four personality traits - Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. Tool: Various online platforms offer DISC assessments for individuals and teams. 360-Degree Feedback: Framework: Collects feedback from peers, subordinates, and managers to offer a comprehensive view of an individual's behaviour. Tool: Customizable surveys or platforms like SurveyMonkey can facilitate 360-degree feedback

These are the tools I do use - - Early planning - Detailed definition of action items - Clear Responsibility Matrix - Specific timeline for each action - Identification of appropriate success criteria for each action - Framework to measure success effectively - Performance evaluation - Clear identification of success and failure - Root Cause Analysis for learning from both success and failure cases - Providing feedback to those responsible for their performance

Clarify ambiguous terms specific to your industry or project. Ensure everyone shares the same understanding. Create a glossary or reference document outlining terminology, abbreviations or acronyms used in the team or project. Encourage team members to openly communicate and ask for clarification when terms or phrases are unclear. Organize sessions to reinforce common language usage, ensuring all team members are up-to-date with the agreed-upon terminology. Regularly assess and refine the shared language through feedback loops to accommodate changes or emerging needs.

The way that I see it, is that establish a common language, meaning putting the all team 'on the same page'. In other words; building a team. Gathering different people is a challenge. And when the all team are on the same page; you can you balance structure and flexibility

Offer clear objectives and guidelines but allow flexibility for brainstorming and idea generation. Provide structured plans while allowing room for agile adjustments based on real-time feedback and unforeseen challenges. Encourage structured discussions to analyze outcomes while remaining open to creative suggestions for improvements. Maintain a balance by setting clear expectations for the next phase while allowing flexibility for team members to express insights or propose changes.

Adapting to different phases of a project or initiative is important for any project's success. below are some of my favourite frameworks and tools which I use to navigate various project phases: Project Management Life Cycle: Framework: Break down the project into phases such as initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Tool: Project management software like Asana, Trello, or Microsoft Project can help in planning and tracking tasks through each phase. Six Sigma DMAIC: Framework: Defines five phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. Primarily used for process improvement. Gantt Chart: Visualizes project tasks over time, allowing for clear planning and scheduling.

Navigating creative problem-solving's cyclical nature resonates with my adaptable approach. In the clarifying phase, I'm open, gathering diverse perspectives. Transitioning to ideation aligns with my creativity, encouraging innovative communication. Moving to development, my structured thinking guides convergent communication to refine and select ideas. Finally, in implementation, my clarity and directness facilitate practical and persuasive communication for seamless execution. This adaptive style mirrors the iterative nature of problem-solving, embodying a synergy of structured and flexible approaches throughout phases.

Use formal mediums like emails, documents, or presentations for conveying critical information that requires clarity and precision. Incorporate informal platforms such as team meetings, collaborative tools, or open forums to encourage discussions, brainstorming and idea sharing. Combine both structured and flexible channels to disseminate information comprehensively while fostering an environment for open dialogue and spontaneous collaboration.

I'll be honest, I struggled with this one as I became a people manager years ago. I am an email fein, I work off of email and keep my inbox with pending items that need attention. I had my team adopting this same process. When I moved roles my new team communicated via text, Slack, Zoom, IM etc. I struggled because they communicated in all ways other than email. By communicating with them early and often that email was my preference and then finding a balance of what worked best for them we found a hybrid approach that worked well. Getting to the solution was a challenge but again, communicating and setting expectations clear helped us accomplish the goal.

Utiliza las herramientas adecuadas según la información que desea comunicar, siempre respetando la jornada laboral. Existe una retroalimentación de comunicación efectiva según las variantes y complejidad del tema a tratar lo ideal es usar los medios adecuados de reunión con el personal profesional.

Encourage open dialogue and seek feedback regularly from team members. Establish a culture where constructive critique is welcome. Encourage team members to voice opinions, share insights and suggest improvements. Tailor your approach based on the team's dynamics, adjusting between structured, directive communication and more flexible, collaborative interactions. Continuously refine communication methods by incorporating feedback into your approach. Adopt iterative cycles to fine-tune communication strategies. Emphasize learning from mistakes as much as successes. Encourage open discussions about what worked well and what needs improvement, fostering a culture of continuous enhancement in communication strategies.

Embracing feedback as a cornerstone, I've witnessed its transformative power in shaping effective communication within my service industry business. Seeking opinions and suggestions from team members has been pivotal, creating an environment where innovative ideas thrive. This aligns seamlessly with the collaborative nature of creative problem-solving. Reflecting on communication experiences, I've identified strengths and areas for improvement, fostering a continuous improvement mindset. Drawing inspiration from other problem solvers enhances my adaptive style, enriching the delicate balance between structured approaches and the flexibility needed for dynamic collaboration.

In team communication, I adopt a balanced approach by setting clear structures while allowing room for flexibility. For instance, during project discussions, I establish a framework outlining the project milestones, deadlines, and specific roles. However, I encourage open dialogue and welcome diverse perspectives within this structure. I host regular check-ins to review progress, ensuring everyone remains aligned with the established plan. Yet, I also foster an environment where team members feel comfortable proposing new ideas or suggesting adjustments to the plan based on emerging needs or insights.

Harnessing adaptability has been a game-changer. My journey from deprogramming laid the foundation for this skill, combining logical reasoning with resilience. Within my service industry business, the fusion of critical thinking and adaptability propelled it beyond competition. Reflecting on experiences, I recognize the strength of a structured yet flexible approach. Moreover, feedback isn't just sought; it's a cornerstone, fostering an environment where innovative ideas flourish. This commitment to continuous improvement extends to studying other problem solvers, enhancing my repertoire. It's essential to underscore the intricate dance between structure and flexibility, shaped by personal experiences and an unwavering dedication to growth.

It is important to establish that inputs of all members are equally welcome. As a result of this, a very healthy discussion is constituted which translates into better outputs allowing team members to feel valued. This fosters a positive and collaborative environment, wherein teammates are much more motivated to deliver.

Be crystal clear about general and particular expectations. That sets up the tone for how and when one can be flexible with unexpected circumstances that would appear along the way.