These are five questions to ask our colleagues on projects. We need to actively learn more about each other’s work styles to help sync communication and collaboration. Relying on observations can lead to miscommunication, confusion, and incorrect assumptions. There’s a more efficient and easier way to find out how your team members like to work: ask! This isn’t about changing anyone’s habits, but it helps gain better insights into your colleagues’ preferences. Being aligned on communication style can help improve how your team approaches goals and works together.
As business professionals and technologists, we all partner with colleagues on projects who are spread across locations, functional areas, and levels. We need to actively learn more about each other’s work styles to help sync communication, collaboration, deadlines, impromptu meetings, etc.
Relying on observations and experience working together, whether that’s a little or a lot, can lead to miscommunication, confusion, and incorrect assumptions. There’s a more efficient and easier way to find out how your team members like to work: ask them!
This isn’t about changing anyone’s habits, but it helps gain better insights into your colleagues’ preferences. And it’s an opportunity to share yours too! Being aligned on communication style can help improve how your team approaches goals and works together.
Here are five questions you can ask your colleagues to open the conversation and learn more about them:
1) What’s the best way to reach you?
You probably prefer certain communication methods for different needs, and your colleagues probably do, too. A follow-up question might be, how do you prefer I reach you with an urgent request?
2) When are you typically available to meet?
This question can help you find a reliable, consistent window of time to meet. Meeting at mutually convenient times, especially if it's a reocurring, can really accelerate progress.
3) Are there certain times of day that you block for specific activities, like focus time or batch work?
This question not only complements the first two by communicating availability, but it can also help establish when you can/cannot expect responses to questions. A follow-up might be, are any of these blocks flexible for urgent conversations?
4) What time of day do you feel most creative?
In an ideal world, we’d all feel creative 24/7. Since we don’t, let’s learn what times are likely better for group creative activities, like brainstorming, problem-solving, planning, and creating.
5) How do you prefer to receive praise or positive feedback?
Some people are extroverted and love to have the spotlight. Some would rather not be publicly praised. It’s good to know how our teammates want to be recognized for their great work. For the extroverts, bring them up to the front. Put their picture up in the all-hands. For the introverts, subtlety is appreciated. We still need to recognize their work, but less overtly. Consider in a 1:1 meeting, a thoughtful email, a gif in slack, or a handwritten note on their desk. How to tell the difference between the two? Ask them.
To scale the exercise, and the insight, try creating a shared document with these questions. Invite your team to help fill it in. As a plus, each person can revisit the document at any time to reference team expectations or to update their answers.
Go Team!
