Effective Communication: 4 ways to improve your communication at work

Have you ever found yourself lost in translation during a conversation? Understanding and practicing effective communication skills are key to building strong workplace relationships. Discover four ways to ensure your message is heard loud and clear, using the wisdom of behavioural preference testing.

We are all unique and have our preferred ways of operating, we call these our behavioural preferences, which C-me expresses in the language of four different colour. Quite simply, our unique and individual colour combination affects how we communicate with one another and has direct impact upon team communication and in turn team dynamics and performance.

Which colour preferences are you and your team?

We all have a unique blend of the four colours, but we do have primary preferences for which colours we find most familiar to use. In other words, no one is just one colour.

Can you relate the four colours to yourself and your colleagues?

Try following our tips below and see what impact it has on your workplace communication - or even with your family! We would love to hear your feedback.

Try these 4 tips to make your communication more effective with your colleagues?

1. Tips for communicating with an individual leading with a Blue colour preference:

• Give facts, ideally in writing
• Be rational and practical
• Ask for their questions
• Discuss the principles
• Be logical and thorough
• Listen carefully to questions
• Allow time to prepare

2. Tips for communicating with an individual leading with a Red colour preference:

• Demonstrate conviction
• Identify their role quickly
• Be direct and action-focused
• Present options
• Focus on success
• Be clear and brief
• Refer early to the objective

3. Tips for communicating with an individual leading with a Yellow colour preference:

• Be interactive and friendly
• Use visuals
• Allow free flow ask for their questions
• Be light and fast-pace
• Make direct eye contact
• Seek their views and ideas
• Allow for an open discussion

4. Tips for communicating with an individual leading with a Green colour preference:

• Allow time for discussion
• Listen carefully
• Show sincere interest
• Be polite and courteous
• Consider their opinions 
• Be sensitive; feeling matter clear and brief
• Progress at their relaxed pace

Here  are 4 further tips on how understanding behaviour preferences can improve your communication and performance

1: Clear and Concise Messaging Tailored to Individual Communication Styles

Effective communication requires clear and concise messaging. Tailoring your messaging to the other person's communication style better ensures that your message is received and understood. Behaviour preference profiling can help you identify the other person's preferred communication style in relation to your own, and give you cues to ensure your message is heard. For instance, individuals who are primarily thinking-oriented may prefer data-driven messaging in the form of bullet point emails and evidence of your process, whereas those who are feeling-oriented may respond better to messaging, in the form of a conversation first, which includes empathetic language and information on the personal impact of the material you are presenting.

2: Active Listening and Understanding Communication Styles

Effective communication also hinges on active listening, which entails being fully engaged in the conversation and seeking to understand the other person's perspective. Those who are aware of their own communication strengths, and then how to adapt these to a person with totally different preferences to themselves, possess powerful communication skills. Behaviour preference assessments provide insights into individual communication styles, including how they prefer to be ‘heard’. Such as, whether a person prefers to operate in a reflective style, processing information internally first before sharing their thoughts, or whether they may prefer a more extroverted process and require a sounding board to help them process their thoughts before making a decision. Understanding these preferences gives you a cheat-sheet to how you can tailor your listening style to better align with other’s needs.

3: Collaborative Communication and Problem-Solving

Collaboration and problem-solving are critical components of effective communication within working teams. Behaviour preference profiling can facilitate collaborative communication by helping to identify individual strengths and preferences to better delegate tasks, assign responsibilities, and engage in problem-solving activities.

To read more about building greater collaboration through behaviour profiling see our blog The Language of Collaboration: Building high-performing, age diverse teams with behavioural profiling.

4: Conflict Resolution Through Behaviour Preference Profiling

Conflict is a natural part of any relationship, but it can be particularly challenging to navigate in professional settings. Behaviour preference profiling can help you navigate conflicts by providing insight into individual communication styles and conflict resolution preferences. For example, if someone is more assertive, they may prefer a more direct and assertive conflict resolution approach, while someone who is more reserved may prefer a more collaborative and compromise-based approach. Helping individuals understand the behaviour preferences of one another may go a long way to resolving conflict, when they each realise the impact that their behaviour may have had on the other to cause the initial rift. Better understanding one another’s preferences also provides a path to navigate out of disputes and into a better working relationship.

For further reading on the impact of workplace conflict and some suggestions on how to address it, read our blog "How much is conflict costing your organisation?" 

Conclusion

Incorporating behaviour preference profiling into your communication strategy can be a game-changer in personal and professional relationships, leading to more effective communication and stronger relationships. The benefits go beyond just solving communication challenges, on to building trust, improving collaboration, and supercharging your overall interpersonal skills. So, next time you face a communication challenge, why not try behaviour preference profiling to see how it can elevate your communication and relationship-building skills.

How can C-me help?

One platform with multiple applications 

We are experts in applying behavioural preference profiling to communication and team dynamics. We bring teams together fast to inspire their best performance and build collaborative workplace cultures. 

To find out how we can help you and your teams to reach your targets book a demo with one of our team.