I have a high S direct, and I'm a high-D high-C, which means I'm impatient and want to get to the point. I'm trying to be understanding so I don't alienate this direct. I understand her communication style is different. BUT, any status update includes a complete narration of the entire conversation that led to the update in question.
Has anyone here had any luck giving directs feedback on communication styles without causing them to withdraw? How do I get her to tell me when the ships are coming in without going over what the dock workers had for lunch before they left?
Regards,
Randall
From a High I to my High C
The best way would be to send her to the ECC and then when she returns talk to her about her style versus yours. You could then point out that her High-S tendencies are taking too long. Have her work on not giving you War and Peace when all you need are bullets.
Have you explained you expectation for status reports?
Randall,
Essentially what you are looking for is BLUF, Bottom Line Up Front and then you can decide if you need more details. Since she is a high S, explaining why you want it that way may help her understand why you prefer this approach. This is an important part of her professional growth and it i your job as her boss to help her improve this area. In her career she will likely work with more High D & I's if she moves up in the company, and she will not want to annoy them by giving them then entire story when someone just needs a status update. Also, many bosses would assume that if they are hearing a story that the outcome is not good This usually means that they are not even listening to the story anymore, they are imagining what the problem is.
-mike
Thank you both. I think it's
Thank you both. I think it's time to get everyone on the team run through DISC and set aside time to discuss.
Link to more Tips
Link to Tips for working with High S's LinkedIn here. The topics was started by Wendii Lord of Manager Tools.