In Part 1 we explored six communication styles:
Tells, Sells, Tests, Consults, Joins and Delegates
Let's now consider the relative advantages and
disadvantages of each.
Tells
Managers who use this style prefer to manage by command and
control and they are sometimes referred to as autocrats.
This style means that the manager can exercise great
control as he or she can be sure that work is being carried
out in accordance with their detailed instructions. This
style also has the benefit of ensuring a consistent
approach and is likely to absorb far less time. However,
people who work for managers like this often complain of
feeling put upon and unappreciated. They can feel
frustrated at not being given a chance to have their say
and can end up following instructions to the letter and
exercising little if any initiative. Also, from the
manager's point of view, this style does not really give
access to the creativity and experience within the team and
assumes that the manager has experienced all the problems
and knows all the answers.
Sells
Here the manager is still the one devising the plans and
making the decisions, but does consider the needs of the
team buy trying to sell the benefits of his or her
suggestions. Notice though that it is still his or her
suggestions, without much scope for team contributions.
Furthermore if the team do not initially buy the suggestion
it is likely that the manager will resort to Tell and
insist that the team do as they are asked whether they like
it or not.
Tests
Tests involves approaching the team with an idea and just
seeing what their reaction is. If the initial suggestion is
received with enthusiasm, this style of manager is likely
to relinquish control to a fair degree and allow the team
to undertake the work under his or her guidance.
Alternatively, if the initial suggestion is resisted it may
be that the manager decides to revisit certain decisions
and to see if a more positive way forward can be formulated.
Consults
When we consult, we may prefer to avoid making decisions
until after the team has had a chance to discuss matters.
This can be a problem in that decisions might be delayed
until everyone in the team has had a chance to have their
say, and it's far from certain that decisions made in this
way will be any better than if the manager made them on
their own. It has been said that a camel is only a horse
designed by a committee where everyone insisted on having
their bit included!
Joins
Managers that favour this style like to position themselves
as just one of the group whose opinions and ideas are no
more valid than anyone else's. This can create a dynamic
team atmosphere and leave people feeling highly valued. It
is likely that groups managed in this way will produce a
range of creative ideas and relieve the manager of much of
the burden of control. However, as with Consults, this
style soaks up a lot of time and may not be appropriate
when a speedy, emphatic decision is needed.
Delegates
At the other end of the spectrum then is the management
style of Delegates. This means that the manager explains
the requirements of a task and sets the rules and
deadlines, but then leaves the team or the individual to
achieve the desired results as they see fit. This quite
clearly emphasizes trust and faith in others but must not
be done without some thought. Managers need to know their
team well enough to be able to decide who should do what,
and they must never seek to delegate accountability. In
other words, if it goes wrong the manager carries the can -
its part of being a manager!
In a future article I'll examine how we can use a coaching
approach to work with these different communication styles.
----------------------------------------------------
Matt Somers is a coaching practitioner of many years'
experience. He works with a host of clients in North East
England where his firm is based and throughout the UK and
Europe. Matt understands that people are working with their
true potential locked away. He shows how coaching provides
a simple yet elegant key to this lock. His popular
mini-guide "Coaching for an Easier Life" is available FREE
at http://www.mattsomers.com
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