I recently attended a training on interpersonal communication skills whose objective is to increase your ability to influence and build strong work relationships. We addressed subjects such as managing tough conversations, managing stress and emotional intelligence, developing conflict resolution skills, using de-escalation techniques to calm and refocus for positive results.
One easily forgets that having strong interpersonal communication skills is what makes a difference in your work. We all have strong technical skills, however what matters is how well you present your work and convey your ideas. It is also about working as a team member, which means working with a team rather than working for a team. If you do everything alone and never partner with other people, you can create huge barriers to your own potential.
One of the most interesting subjects we addressed during this training was how to customize your approach according to the work style and values of the people you are communicating with to maximize results. Sometimes communication and listening become more difficult because we are trying to communicate with someone that may have a very different personality and work style than we do. But if you understand them, they will understand you better and therefore, you will have more influence.
In this context, we all took a test to figure out what our work style was. It appears that I am what they call a “blue person” or a “Sensor”: I am action-oriented, hard working and can handle a lot of work. I have a high energy level coupled with a high need to achieve. Therefore, the best way to communicate with me is to focus on action, bottom-line, demonstrate competence and be prompt in response.
On the other hand, if I want to communicate effectively with what they call a “green person” or a “Thinker”, someone into the details, who likes structure, order and facts, I would need to be factual, objective, precise and exact. It would also be better to organize my presentation using a systematic progression and scientific method.
This gives you an idea of the tools we learned to be more effective at communicating at work. I have already started to use some of them in my daily work and I can tell you it is making my life easier!
I also recently gave an interview for Career Rocketeer which is a new online site aiming to ‘fuel’ your career and help it take off. I give some more insight about working at Reckitt Benckiser. I know it’s a tough call when you’re out there looking for a career to pursue but there is a wealth of information online that you can tap into to ensure the company you do opt for is right for you. Check it out: Career Rocketeer’s Profession Confession. You can also try out the Reckitt Benckiser Virtual Career game, which is a bit of fun and shows you how you could progress within the company Reckitt Benckiser Virtual Careers game. Enjoy!