Shortcuts leaders wished they knew about management and communication within their team.

Wish I knew this when I first became a manager …

And here it is:

When communicating directions to your team, communicate it in a number of ways to relate to learning styles of all recipients.

Sounds hard? Its not! Its simple.

Doing this simple step will make a huge difference to the success of your team communication and management.

Not every person learns or takes information on board in the same way.

What does that mean? Well for some people, when you communicate a whole raft of instructions, the words go into their brain, reverberate around and sometimes fall out the back, with your message being totally lost.

Not everyone is an auditory learner.

You may have just communicated everything in what you consider was a super clear and constructive stream of language, but your recipient may not have heard it that way.

Conversely, if your worker is an auditory learner, they will respond best if you speak your instructions to them. Auditory learners may also repeat words out loud to hear them and make more sense of your instructions.

Verbal learners like both speaking and reading, so communicating instructions via email as well as asking them to repeat what they are going to do, will really help cement their task.

Visual learners learn best from viewing diagrams, and visual concepts such as reminder boards, visual prompts etc. They will often doodle, draw diagrams etc. to make sense of what needs to be done.

So here is the key:

While you are verbally communicating what you need to happen…

• Draw up a plan on scrap paper – like a mud map – or make a bit of a funny chart to demonstrate;
• Make a joke and give your drawing to your team member;
• Then send a follow up email to re-convey the requirements.

You might just find that some workers suddenly start responding better and you are getting better results.

Just from a simple communication tweak.

Try it!

Issues with staff communication? Get in touch with us!

For more HR or staffing help contact CIRCLE Recruitment & HR or call 1300 923 000

Important Note: These articles have been prepared for general circulation and are circulated for general informational purposes only; these articles should not be regarded as business or investment advice. The articles represent the views of the writers and are subject to change without notice. Additionally, while every care has been taken in the preparation of the articles no representation or warranty as to accuracy or completeness of any statement is given. An individual or organisation should, before any business or investment decision is made, consider the appropriateness of the information in this document, and seek professional advice, having regard to objectives, situation and needs. This document is solely for the use of the party to whom it is provided.