NCMA WEC: 3-1-12 Patricia D. Robinson

1. BEST Communication Styles NCMA WEC: 3-1-12 Patricia D. Robinson

2. BEST Communication Style Profile • We each have general personality patterns • These patterns are expressed in our interactions with others • Understanding these patterns in ourselves and others can help us improve communications, work relationships, and teamwork BEST Communications Styles Workshop

3. BEST Communication Style Workshop AGENDA: • Overview 12:45 – 12:55 • Table Team Activity 12:55 – 1:15 • BEST Communication Styles Model 1:15 – 1:30 • Flexing Your Style 1:30 – 1:45 • Team Profiles / Dynamics 1:45 – 2:00 • Debrief 2:00 – 2:15

4. Communications Activity Description: Table teams work together to build a block structure to their customer’s exact specifications: • Roles: • Keep track of communication on the team: • What works well? • What do you find frustrating? 15 min

5. Blocks Activity - Debrief • Break into teams, based on your highest scoring letteron your BEST Profile / Assessment: • Discuss: • What aspects of the team’s communication worked well for you? • What aspects did you find frustrating? • Choose a spokesperson from your table B E S T 5 min

6. BEST Preferences Preferences: Bold Challenges Freedom Power Quick Results Authority Action Change Expressive Popularity Influence Acceptance To be around People To Persuade Sympathetic Adjustment Time Stability Appreciation Schedule Technical Organization Rules Standards Explanations Little Risk

7. Understanding the BEST Model Dimensions of Communications: • Reflecting Emotions = Expressiveness • Influencing Others = Dominance

8. Reflecting Emotions Thinkers Feelers High Low Expressiveness

9. High Direct Dominance Indirect Low Influencing Others

10. BEST Communication Styles BOLD EXPRESSIVE (Direct Thinker) (Direct Feeler) Indirect Direct TECHNICAL SYMPATHETIC (Indirect Thinker) (IndirectFeeler) Thinker Feeler BEST Communications Styles Workshop

11. BEST Communication Styles Summary BOLD EXPRESSIVE • What: • Results • Objectives • Achieving • Doing • How: • Strategies • Organization • Facts Process Action TECHNICAL SYMPATHETIC • Why: • Concepts • Theories • Innovation • Who: • Communication • Relationships • Teamwork Ideas People BEST Communications Styles Workshop

12. Style Descriptors • Bold is stimulated by the challengeof new adventure. • Expressive thrives on being around others and persuading them. • Sympathetic is patient, dependable, loyal, a good listener. • Technical is controlled, cautious, precise, rule-oriented. Each type has needs and preferences which are the keys to understanding, communicating with and motivating them. BEST Communications Styles Workshop

13. Adjusting to Other Comms Styles • Need to adjust your style to others to improve communications • Which styles do you think tend to clash most? BOLD EXPRESSIVE Indirect Direct TECHNICAL SYMPATHETIC Thinker Feeler BEST Communications Styles Workshop

14. Activity 2: Adjusting to Other Comms Styles • In your assigned groups, come up with the Top 5things you should do to FLEX to the opposing communication style: • Bold vs. Sympathetic • Technical vs. Expressive • BOLD • TECHNICAL • EXPRESSIVE • S SYMPATHETIC BEST Communications Styles Workshop

15. Activity 3: Practice Flexing Your Style • Now choose someone from your group to represent your preferred Communications Style. He/she will participate in a role play: • Bold with Sympathetic • Technical with Expressive • Objective: • Based on what you know about your colleague’s preferred communication style, convince him/her to forfeit their vacation and work on your program BEST Communications Styles Workshop

16. Activity 3: Practice Flexing Your Style • Scenario: • You need the help of a colleague to meet a critical program deadline with a key customer who has been complaining about slow progress & cost overruns. • Your colleague -- not on this program team -- has unique customer and technical knowledge that would enable the program team to: • meet deadline ahead of schedule • realize significant cost savings • create good will with the customer • Your colleague is scheduled to take a vacation with several friends/family members that has been planned for months: • there won’t be another opportunity to take the vacation again until next year and several family members will not be available at that time. • tickets are non-refundable. BEST Communications Styles Workshop

17. Preferences: Limitations: Bold Challenges Freedom Power Quick Results Authority Action Change Learn to Listen Attend to Details Be Aware of Others Follow Expressive Popularity Influence Acceptance To be around People To Persuade Manage Time Be Objective Set Goals Attend to Details Control Talking Sympathetic Adjustment Time Stability Appreciation Schedule Set Deadlines Use Lead Time Get Attention Be Understood Technical Organization Rules Standards Explanations Little Risk Make Quicker Decisions Use More Power Take Quicker Action Take Risks Activity 3: Practice Flexing Your Style Debrief What did you find challenging about flexing to the other person’s style? How well did each flex to the other person’s preferred style? Compare to communication preferences below: BEST Communications Styles Workshop

18. Adjusting to Other Styles - Tips • BOLD (Driver / Action) • Focus on the result first; state the conclusion at the outset. • State your best recommendation; do not offer many alternatives. • Be as brief as possible. • Emphasize the practicality of your ideas. • Use visual aids. • TECHNICAL (Analytical / Idea) • Allow enough time for discussion. • Do not get impatient when he or she goes off on tangents. • Try to relate the discussed topic to a broader concept or idea • Stress uniqueness of idea or topic. • Emphasize future value or relate the impact of the idea to the future. • If writing, try to stress key concepts that underlie your recommendation at beginning. Start with an overall statement and work toward specifics. • EXPRESSIVE (Expresser / Process) • Be precise; state the facts. • Organize your discussion in a logical order: • Background • Present situation • Outcome • Break down your recommendations. • Include options/alternatives w/ pros & cons. • Do not rush a process-oriented person. • Outline your proposal. • SYMPATHETIC (Relator/ People) • Allow for small talk; do not start the discussion right away. • Stress the relationship between your proposal and the people concerned. • Show how the idea worked well in the past. • Indicate support from well-respected people. • Use an informal writing style. BEST Communications Styles Workshop

19. Team Communications Dynamics Team dynamics, relationships and results are determined primarily by the personality types/ communication styles of team members. We will Discuss: • Importance of team’s composition • How dynamics of a team when one comm. style is over-represented • How tasks may dictate the team profile that will be most effective • How individuals can make a greater contribution to the team BEST Communications Styles Workshop

20. Building Teams in Relationship to Tasks • BOLD • Strengths: • Works well in changing environ. • Uses practical approaches • Finds creative, innovative solutions • Can change direction quickly • Will make quick bottom line decisions • Weaknesses: • May overlook important details • Need others to implement decisions • Won’t take into account impact on others • Proposed solutions may be too risky • EXPRESSIVE • Strengths: • Works well together • Works with enthusiasm • Considers others in solutions and plans • Can persuade others to their point of view • Will consider values • Weaknesses: • May take too much time to reach a decision • Won’t consider details • May not consider important factors due to emotions • Won’t make unpopular decision • Well Rounded/Mixed • Strengths: • Outperforms other teams in solving production problems • Outperforms other teams in general tasks • Considers more solutions, thus reaching a better decision • Considers both tasks & people • Weaknesses: • May have more team conflict • May take longer to reach decision • May have comms. problems • Bold & Expressive may ignore, stifle or shut out Sympathetic & Technical Indirect Direct • TECHNICAL • Strengths: • Works well from logic and facts • Will be objective • Will be just/fair • Will develop step-by-step plan • Will pay attention to detail • Weaknesses: • May consider people in solutions • May be too analytically oriented • Won’t look at the big picture • May be too rigid and rule-oriented • SYMPATHETIC • Strengths: • Will find standard or traditional solutions • Works steadily and realistically • Will be patient with routine • Will be good with preplanned assignments • Will be accommodating to feelings of others • Weaknesses: • Won’t consider new ways • Will be slow to reach difficult decisions • May need a lot of structure before beginning • May reach decisions in favor of status-quo & other’s feelings Thinker Feeler BEST Communications Styles Workshop

21. Specific Tasks by Team Personality Profile • BOLD • Manage a short-term project • Identify competitive strategies • Identify changes needed in an org. • Plan crisis management • Find a creative solution to a problem • EXPRESSIVE • Plan a social or company event • Conduct employee motivation program • Plan a presentation • Plan sales approaches • Make plans for training employees Direct Indirect • TECHNICAL • Write routine procedures • Construct a work schedule • Identify ways to stabilize the environment • Plan for counseling employees • Write personnel policies • SYMPATHETIC • Write reports • Edit reports • Write procedures • Identify details in implementation plans • Review details in complex projects ThinkerFeeler BEST Communications Styles Workshop

22. Wrap Up • What will you do differently to communicate more effectively with others? BEST Communications Styles Workshop

23. Preferences: Limitations: Bold Challenges Freedom Power Quick Results Authority Action Change Learn to Listen Attend to Details Be Aware of Others Follow Expressive Popularity Influence Acceptance To be around People To Persuade Manage Time Be Objective Set Goals Attend to Details Control Talking Sympathetic Adjustment Time Stability Appreciation Schedule Set Deadlines Use Lead Time Get Attention Be Understood Technical Organization Rules Standards Explanations Little Risk Make Quicker Decisions Use More Power Take Quicker Action Take Risks BEST Preferences & Limitations

24. BEST Communications Styles Guide BEST Communications Styles Workshop