What do you do if your athletes have different communication styles?

1. Understand individual preferences: Take the time to get to know each athlete and learn about their communication style. 2. Encourage open communication: Create a respectful and inclusive environment where athletes feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas. 3. Provide multiple channels: Offer different communication channels, such as in-person meetings, emails, phone calls, or messaging apps, to cater to different preferences. 4. Adjust your approach: Be flexible and willing to adjust your communication style based on the individual athlete. 5. Seek feedback: Regularly solicit feedback from the athletes to understand what is working well and where there may be room for improvement.

Ask them their preferred method of communication. As much as possible, as often as possible, aim to communicate with them in that manner to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of communication. If athletes prefer to communicate with you differently, as much as possible work with their preferences, and confirm that you've understood their message.

The heart of this section is ??it is your job to observe and learn how each athlete communicates?? but beyond just observation and learning there is a proactive approach to have. Understand where your athletes come from, what is their story, meet the family and the people around the athlete, ask the fellow athletes and peers. Then also understand the personal goal of your athlete to understand where you can take them. Not everyone wants to be a #1 or a GOAT. Some are perfectly fine with a stead seat in the top 50. This, you need to scan the past and evaluate the future to know how to act now! Regardless of the art of communication respect and respect the boundaries and be ready to iterate to get the expected result.

Se meus atletas têm estilos de comunica??o diferentes, adapto minha abordagem de comunica??o para atender às necessidades individuais de cada um. Promovo um ambiente de respeito e compreens?o mútua, incentivando a express?o aberta e honesta. Ofere?o treinamentos de comunica??o para ajudar a equipe a desenvolver habilidades interpessoais e a melhorar a intera??o. Utilizo diversos métodos de comunica??o, como reuni?es presenciais, mensagens eletr?nicas e feedback individualizado, para garantir que todos os atletas se sintam ouvidos e compreendidos.

Se meus atletas têm estilos de comunica??o diferentes, realizo uma avalia??o individual para compreender suas preferências e necessidades. Estabele?o canais de comunica??o variados, como reuni?es individuais, mensagens escritas e feedbacks personalizados. Promovo uma cultura de respeito e compreens?o, incentivando a comunica??o aberta e o trabalho em equipe. Ofere?o treinamento em habilidades de comunica??o para melhorar a intera??o e a colabora??o entre os membros da equipe. E, por fim, adapto minha própria abordagem de comunica??o para atender às preferências de cada atleta, garantindo uma comunica??o eficaz e um ambiente de trabalho harmonioso.

Validation is key in active listening. Repeat and ask if what the athlete said is what they meant. Sometimes just repeating one word in a questioning tone can help better frame the topic or the subject. Try to identify a key word of what the athlete is saying, repeat it in a questioning mode. People immediately start to explain themselves, often in a different way. It allows you to get more information to work with. It helps you better understand the message but it already places the athlete in a reconsidering position as they are explain the same thing differently. This only opens the door to better communication, better understanding and ultimately better results.

Flexibility is very important but also give your athletes time. The message has to sink in. Some take more time to digest and implement then others. Also when addressing a team try to engage them, sometimes if the message comes from a fellow team member it lands differently. Maybe you struggle getting your message across, but coming from a fellow it is crystal clear. Use their relationships to better communicate. By engaging them it will also help you identify unforeseen issues or tensions you can address.

Something that seem to work quite well in groups and teams is to challenge team one after the other to talk to the team. If you are the coach invite them to take your role for a moment, let them learn how to talk to the entire team and observe them it will help you understand their personal way of communication. It is also a huge learning experience for the athlete speaking in front of the team. It often changes dynamics and perspectives for the better.

When giving feedback, it is important to tailor it to the individual, the situation and more. Otherwise, it can lose its effectiveness and lead to a negative outcome. Generic feedback can come across as you resent having to give it in the first place, or as you don't care, which can lead to the loss of a strong, authentic connection between you and your team member. The delivery itself also needs to be adapted, because not everyone wants to receive feedback in the same way, and there is no one universal approach that works for everyone and everything. For example, in the past I have had individuals who prefer to receive feedback privately, while others prefer to have it delivered in a group setting.

Incorporating different communication approaches for each athlete is important. Consider these tips; Encourage open discussions, utilize diverse communication channels, and create an inclusive team culture where everyone's style is valued. Being adaptable and empathetic helps in connecting effectively despite varying communication preferences.

Having the flexibility to adapt your communication style with each athlete is crucial - but there should be a set structure that you do not deviate from. Adapting communication style should not affect the training process or the philosophy behind the what and why of training. As it is with many other things in life, it should be a two-way street where both parties should adapt to an extent and thus show a willingness to set the relationship up for success.