Failure to communicate effectively contributes greatly to frustration, resentment and poor job performance.  Individuals fail to experience satisfaction and success in completing tasks that they take on either as employees or volunteers because they do not have a complete picture and/or full understanding of the importance that each part plays.  As much as the small details are bothersome, it is the lack of attention to those details that results in mediocrity at best or complete and utter failure at the worst.

Reasons for Poor Communication

• As individuals, busyness and preoccupation with the many things on our personal and professional agendas hinders communication.  Perhaps we have not been provided the information necessary to complete a task.  The information required varies dependent on our Social Style.
• As organizations, sometimes we fail to realize that there are individuals with differing styles performing the various tasks necessary to making the profit being sought.
• As societies, ethnocentricity results in us failing to see the relevance and importance of circumstances and events occurring in other parts of the world and the impact on the individuals, families and organizations operating there.

Is it reasonable or profitable to continue to excuse poor performance, the off loading of tasks on others and failure to follow through?  Is it even ethical to behave in such a manner or accept such behaviour?

Communication begins with the individual.  The Social Styles matrix describes four basic behaviours that provide an explanation of how we relate to and influence others.  Two assessments - assertiveness and responsiveness - are used to build the matrix.  The four Styles created by the Matrix are Driver, Analytical, Amiable and Expressive and we all fall into one of these as our primary way of communicating.

Movement occurs back and forth and up and down each of the continuums that form the Matrix. Roles, responsibilities and circumstances often determine how others perceive us; however, we always revert to the Style that we are most comfortable with.  The assertiveness scale covers the range from ask-oriented (Analyticals and Amiables) to tell-oriented (Drivers and Expressives).  In evaluating responsiveness, emotions are evident or controlled.  Styles that control their emotions tend to be task oriented (Analyticals and Drivers); whereas, the more emotive styles are more relationship oriented (Amiables and Expressives).

Social Style Behaviours

Styles do not change over time; however, another factor “Versatility” comes into play.  Being a skill, versatility can be learned.  Consciously practising versatility by moving into another individual’s preferred style enhances opportunities for good communication and meaningful teamwork to occur.  Good leaders and managers learn and practise versatility providing untold benefits for businesses and organizations in successful goal achievement and employee morale and commitment. The ability to identify and appreciate the diverse strengths offered by each Style assists in building strong functional teams and companys.

Talking about everything or even knowing how to talk does not make us good communicators.  A willingness to flex our style and interact with others in a manner that they find comfortable offers great dividends both individually and corporately.