Face-to-Face Benefits

Classroom Training Communicates

In economically tough times it's only natural that companies try to cut costs.

This has meant the emergence of more online training. It’s seen as a way to reduce the cost of travel, training venues and facilitators.

We have the resources to do online training, yet we have made a conscious decision not to. We don't believe in it.

In our experience it doesn't work well for communication training.

Online works well for transmitting facts, figures, analysis, and research. And it’s good for training follow-up and reinforcement after a training workshop.

To us, though, nothing can replace the classroom experience: Receiving personal feedback and coaching. Interacting with other participants. Practicing face-to-face communication.

From what we can see, the most successful companies agree with us.

What benefits have you gauged from face-to-face communication?

Tell us about a time you were successful in achieving a business goal through face-to-face communication?

Gen-Y Style Communication Profile

What you see is what you get.

Sometimes this directness can be your downfall because people don’t always understand it. I personally value it. I’m married to someone who is incredibly direct, so it doesn’t phase me at all. But I wasn’t brought up with that directness.

I’ve learned to admire it because it brings to the table one really important thing that managers value: I can ask you for your opinion and know you’ll give it to me. I may not like the opinion, but I will usually hear the truth.

You can deal with that. At least the truth is out in the open.

Some people tell you what they think you want to hear. If you’re the CEO, that’s the worst thing to want.

I remember the first person who mentored me in life. One day he gave me a piece of advice that really upset me. Doesn’t really matter what it was , but it went “pow” in me. He said to me later, “You will find many people around who will pat you on the back and say what a great guy you are, but you will find very few people who will actually tell you the truth.”

What your generation brings to the table is a directness in communication, which all organizations need to understand and value.

If you find people are misinterpreting your directness, explain yourself.

Say to your boss, “Please understand that I’m direct and upfront in my communication. I’m not being rude, I’m just telling you what’s on my mind.”

© Canstockphoto/ Feverpitched

Gen-X Communication Style Profile

This is the in-the-middle group, probably brought up by boomer parents.

Gen-Xers have some insights that can help Gen-Yers – and Boomers.

Be aware that their perspective is half-way to being a boomer, half way to Gen-Yer. A foot in both camps.

Gen-Xers can provide that half-way advice to help you Gen-Yers on your career path.

Their challenge is that they can all too easily see both perspectives. They will give you a choice.

Only you can make that choice. So take control of your career.

No one else will.

Baby Boomer Communication Style Profile

In summary, boomers tend to be more analytical. They respond well to the written word. Many, though not all, like one-on-one communication.

They also respond well to the following:

• Concise written summaries
• Concise verbal presentations
• Results
• Lists/bullet points
• Punctuality

Generational Communications

A dynamic exists in the workforce that hasn’t happened before. It’s the dynamic between the generations.

You have probably figured out which generation you’re in. If you go to the internet, you’ll see that different experts use slightly different dates of birth to define each generation. You’ll just have to decide which one you most relate to.  

Be aware that these three groups have a lot of influence in any organization.

 

Their perspectives appear to be very different.

Our communications research has profiled the differences.

Briefly, boomers tend to be mainly analytical.

Gen-X more interactive.

Gen-Y more direct.

More on this in the coming weeks.

The Three Styles of Communication

About 20 years ago we started to research how people really communicate.

We knew about the analytical way of communication; we also knew there was a non-analytical way of communicating. But we wanted more details. We designed a questionnaire, an assessment to try to pinpoint preferences.

This questionnaire, plus input from participants on our training courses, and focus groups – revealed that all of us possess the ability to communicate in three very different ways:

1. Analytically – the obvious style because it helps in business to analyze and be logical

2. Visually – the style that involves speed, spontaneity and sometimes imagery

3. Interactively – the ability to interact, ask questions and relate to people

Our research also shows that, while you might have a preference, you need all three styles to communicate well with others.  

Your preferred style might be analytical, for example. Perhaps you would rather read things  and communicate one-on-one rather than in large groups.

So it’s a preference. Not right or wrong. The skill lies in being able to adapt. If you prefer to analyze your communication and you’re dealing with an audience who prefers to be spontaneous and verbal – you realize someone has to shift styles. Otherwise you may not “connect”.