Jacked Up, Wired and On Fire – Wake Up and Communicate!
Jazzed, focused, grabbing the point, doing the right things and making it happen. That’s what you want … for yourself and all those clients, customers, audiences and employees. Knowing how people are wired to communicate can give you an edge. Here’s how to use communication styles to be more successful. Think of it as a triple shot of espresso for your career.
Your Daily Dose of Joe
Did you know 54% of Americans over age 18 drink coffee every single day? Of course, we drink it for the taste, right? Heck, no – a lot of us do it for the buzz. Caffeine is the Number One stimulant on the planet. We think it helps our brains reach peak performance. Well, there’s another way to do it that won’t leave you with the java jitters.
Another Way to be Wired
This is the second part of a three-part series on how you can significantly improve how well you learn, interact with people and connect with your key stakeholders. If you missed the first part, here’s a quick, fun quiz you can take to identify your personal learning style. Take a minute to see how you are hardwired and then come back here.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE QUIZ
Your Personal Communication Style
Visual – Auditory – Kinesthetic. These are the three basic ways that people process information.
Visual Learners – learn best through seeing and reading.
Auditory Learners – learn best through hearing.
Kinesthetic Learners – learn through doing, touching and experiencing.
You use all three ways but probably favor a dominant style or mixture of styles. I’m a Visual/Auditory person. I like lots of pictures, color and movement. I love movies and all types of music, and I know all the words. You may have another dominant style, or you may be balanced.
Knowing these communication styles gives you shortcuts to using information, getting things done and communicating. Let’s take a look at how you can use them to get yourself and other people motivated and moving.
Know Yourself
If you took the Communication Style Quiz, you gained some insight into how your brain works. Now this isn’t pop-psychology, but there are some easy tricks you can use to maximize your own performance based on what you learned.
Visual Person
About 30-40% of people are visual learners. That doesn’t mean you ignore words and sounds – but you tend to see things spatially. So use it … go for it. Like this:
• White boards are your BFF – Get one and draw simple maps or flow charts to visualize a process or how things go together.
• Color-code everything – Get highlighters, folders and Post-it Notes and organize by color. Besides looking cool, you’ll develop the reputation for being creative. Plus, all the employees at the closest office supply store will know you by name.
• It’s okay to “file by pile” – Put all the related things and documents together and put them where you can see them. You’re making a display of your work. If your co-workers get too freaked out tell them its experience art.
Auditory Person
About 20-30% of people are auditory learners. You prefer to hear information and process sounds and data together. Here are some ideas to make the most of your style.
• Create a noise cocoon – Sounds attract you and distract you. Keep your door closed or get a pair of light headphones to help you focus. You can even match the music to the task. There’s great power in creating your own “Rock & Roll Force Field.”
• Discuss things in groups – You learn as much from someone’s tone as you do from the words. Keep the groups small, be patient and wait for your turn to talk. Oh – and make sure that everyone else in the meeting isn’t an auditory person, too. Things might get a little out of control!
• If it’s important, read it aloud – You can hear how it sounds and verbalize what you need to remember. I read everything I write out loud. I tell my clients and coworkers that I talk to myself, but I’m not dangerous!
Kinesthetic Person
About 30-50% of people learn through doing, touching and experiencing. You like to keep busy, multi-task and go hands-on. Here are tips for using your style to your advantage.
• Get a “Play Pretty” – That’s what my grandmother called something she’d hand me to fidget with to keep me occupied at church. Maybe it’s a fancy pen, a stress ball or a leather journal. It’s just something small to help you channel your nervous energy so your brain can pay attention.
• Stand up in meetings – No one said you have to sit to have a meeting. Walk around the office, go outside or even stand at a white board and scribble as you discuss. This will help your visual side, too. It won’t take long for you to be given a nickname like “Captain Action.” Plus, it’s hard to hit a moving target.
• Lose the traditional office furniture – Try a drafting table and a stool instead of the standard low desk. Go for shelves instead of a credenza. What you want is a place where you can work while you stand, move and walk. The slick side effect is that people who visit won’t get too comfortable and stay too long.
Use What Works For You
Your personal learning style gives you a powerful template for your working life. Use it to be more functional and not dysfunctional and you will increase your advantage. Try relying on it as much as your favorite coffee. A hot cup may increase your work speed and help you focus. But that jolt will wear off. Your learning style is 24/7.
Your goal is to use your styles to learn more, understand more and do more.
Exploit Other Styles for Fun and Profit
Remember about 40% of your clients, customers, audiences and employees are visual learners and they’re not really listening to what you say. About 30% are auditory learners and they never read all those charts and graphs. And that big bunch of kinesthetic learners is fighting to focus during that 45-minute presentation. For them, playing with their cellphones isn’t being rude … it’s a survival tool.
In the last part of series, we’ll talk about how to design and develop content that reaches everyone in the audience, captures their attention, and motivates them to do what you want them to do.
Think of it as a (get ready for this) – Trenta cup of Java Chip Frappuccino, with 16 shots of espresso, strawberry puree, vanilla beans, protein powder, Matcha powder, a drizzle of caramel and just a hint of mocha. By the way, that’s 1400mg of caffeine.
If you want to know more about improving your communications just click on CONTACT US and get in touch.
