What do you do if your diverse team members have conflicting communication styles?

The first thing is to talk about it openly. Encourage everyone to share how they like to communicate. Some may prefer direct talk, while others might like to be more indirect. Some may prefer writing, while others prefer speaking. By understanding each other's styles, you can work better together. Offer training on good communication and listening skills and encourage everyone to be flexible and understanding. This can help everyone communicate more effectively and work well as a team.

A real coach is one that creates leaders. Not only work leaders but leaders that take true ownership of their own lives and get to reach a happy balance between work and private matters. There’s an innate knowledge within each one of us on how to achieve it. A real mentor does not tell you how to reach that satisfaction —rather, they help you discover and understand your own.

In my experience the following steps are helpful to embrace different styles of communication: 1. Make it explicit. Use one of the general accepted tools that indicates communication preferences. My practice tested preference is DISC. 2. Start with yourself. Introduce your preferences and tendencies to the team first and include your weaknesses. That is leading by example in action. 3. Follow up continuously. Communication styles and strategies should become part of individual and team discussions. Is part of an issue different communication expectations? 4. The first time a team member uses this new tool in their toolbox: celebrate them. Well done. 5. Don’t give up, it’s a process. I am struggling most with 3 and 5. ??

The beauty of diversity is- it brings unique perspectives/ thoughts to a team. While conformity can drive teams towards the same goal without friction, unique views can provide growth and innovation within a team. Understanding each other's communication/work style can help team members be more aware of uniqueness everyone brings and modify approach and style to get to the common goal. There are personality, communication style assessments available that can be used as team building or team communication awareness tool. Explaining the why behind team's existence and purpose can bring members together to work towards the big picture. Team members can be encouraged to embrace cultural differences through training and appreciation.

Team communication clashing? Don't sweat it! Understand styles (direct, analytical etc.), actively listen, find common goals, adapt your approach, embrace open communication, ask for clarification & celebrate diverse perspectives. These tips turn your team's communication styles into strengths for a collaborative & productive work environment.

Empathy is one of the most effective tools a leader has to boost productivity. I’ve practiced active listening all my life, looking at my interlocutor in the eyes and softly repeating their words. It works like a magical message that states: “I’ve been there and I know what you’re going through”. You build trust and self-confidence that way. After that, you can elevate a person’s skills beyond their own imagination.

It's important to also show that you empathise. Simply repeating back to a person what you're heard using their words can have a powerful effect. It can also provide an opportunity for them to reassess their points what they have communicated.

After individual assessments and helping with the self - and other evaluation of their communication styles fostering empathy is the next step. Valuing diverse communication styles starts by establishing a safe space where team members feel comfortable expressing themselves openly. Building trust is essential in this process, as it encourages vulnerability and genuine dialogue. By promoting understanding and respect for each other's unique perspectives, team members can empathize with one another's communication preferences and adapt accordingly. This inclusive approach not only enhances collaboration but also nurtures a culture of empathy, ultimately leading to stronger team dynamics and mutual support.

Set expectations for your team of what kinds of communication are available and how that communication should appropriately be used. Encourage people to be pro-active about saying how they like to be communicated with, and what others can expect from them. For instance, someone might like to use Slack, and will get back to others within 2 business hours. Email might get a response within 1 business day. In-person communication may be welcome at any time, or perhaps only when scheduled ahead of time. Consider making spaces dedicated to more formal or more casual communication that employees can opt into and out of.

Establishing clear guidelines is essential, outlining expectations while encouraging proactive sharing of preferred communication styles and channels for individuals. Recognizing that not one approach fits all, it's about finding what aligns best with expectations, embracing the tension between authenticity and high standards. Creating a “yes we can” culture where people often experienced breakdown of communication and loosing traction in the past.

Not everyone will have the same communication preferences, so we all have to be flexible. If an employee is deeply uncomfortable with a certain kind of communication, see if it's necessary to use, or if other kinds of communication are available. Also consider that not all communication is available to all people. If you prefer texting and your colleague prefers unscheduled in-person chats, approach them in the way they prefer then ask if they can compromise.

Understanding each other's communication styles in a safe space and developing a shared language to express personal preferences is crucial. Embracing the wide spectrum of differences fosters acceptance that there is no "normal," but rather a beauty in diverse strengths for various situations. Recognizing that success requires a blend of different types, learning to leverage these styles collectively is essential for team success.

Something that has always worked wonders for me is to approach a member of my team and ask: “What else can I give you to feel that you’re ready to reach your highest productivity point?” When a new member of your team is expecting criticism from you and instead of that you provide advice and learning skills, you gain their loyalty and good work forever.

We often assume that our own perspective or experience is universal, when very few experiences are actually universal. Introduce your team to new ideas about communication, and see what kinds of ideas they come up with together for collaborative and effective ways to change.

A Birkman assessment identifies individual communication styles, enabling tailored team training. Understanding diverse approaches fosters empathy, improves collaboration, and optimizes communication, enhancing team dynamics and productivity. Having fun games and real life examples in the training, highlighting the different communication styles, eg. solving team challenges will boost the teams confidence and productivity.

In my experience, when we celebrate diversity, we acknowledge and appreciate the unique backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and communication styles that each team member brings to the table. Starting from this place of acknowledgment and appreciation gives me the opportunity to be open and curious about the other people in the team. This leads to being able to empathize with them and therefore reduce the chances of misunderstandings. By coming with an open minded perspective, I've also learned that you can ask questions and really listen to people's answers without the need to convince them to think like you. This allows for richer conversations and discussions and les chances of conflicting communications.

The great thing about diversity is that studies show time and again that increased diversity drives increased innovation and business success. That said, having a group of diverse voices increases the chances of friction and misunderstanding. Championing communication with ongoing education and support is a necessary part of ensuring that your organization's diversity is effective rather than destructive.