Manager's Briefcase
Giving and Receiving Feedback - Chapter 6
Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
©2005 by Pamela Lizardi, M.Ed.
May be used as is or with alterations if proper credit is given to the author.

Editor’s note: This issue continues the sixth of eight installments of Pam’s materials. If you need the next installment sooner than the next issue, please feel free to email us with your request. If you need to catch up, please read previous chapters using the links above..

Chapter Six - Feedback and Communication Styles

Chapter Objectives

• Identify your preferred communication style.
• Recognize the impact your preferred communication style has on the way you tend to give and receive feedback.
• Understand other styles of communication and how those styles relate to feedback.
• Adapt your communication style to the needs of the feedback situation, particularly the needs of feedback recipients.

What Are Communication Styles?
Communication styles play an important part in the giving and receiving of feedback. All of us have developed communication patterns that reflect our individual identities. These patterns develop over time and become our preferred manner of communicating.

Your effectiveness in giving and receiving feedback will be enhanced if you are aware of your preferred communication style and that of your feedback recipient. By recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of both styles, you can more easily adjust your style to avoid conflicts and ensure understanding.

There are four major communication styles:

• Driver—The driver is direct and task-oriented.
• Collaborator—The collaborator is enthusiastic and relationship-oriented.
• Contributor—The contributor is supportive and avoids change and confrontation.
• Investigator—The investigator is accurate and detail-oriented.

Though our individual communication styles are usually a composite of all four styles, we tend to have one stronger, preferred style. The chart below describes some of the strengths and potential stumbling blocks associated with the four styles. Which style comes closest to describing the way you tend to communicate?

How Styles Affect Feedback
Most of us give and receive feedback in a manner consistent with our dominant communication style. Review the preferred manner for giving and receiving feedback for each of the four styles, paying particular attention to your own style.

Understanding the Communication Styles of Others
Knowing and understanding your preferred communication style is important because in order to fully appreciate others’ styles, you must first appreciate your own. You will want to be conscious of your own communication preferences when giving and receiving feedback from others. But your primary focus needs to be on what you believe the other person’s preferences are.

If you are giving feedback to a coworker or an associate, you need to be sensitive to that person’s communication style. By matching that individual’s style, or delivering your feedback in a way that is comfortable to the person, he or she will be more likely to hear what you have to say and to be open to changing his or her behavior or improving performance.

When receiving feedback from others, be aware of their preferred communication styles. Understanding their styles explains their approach in giving you their feedback. Understanding their approach enables you to get beyond “how” they are giving you the feedback and allows you to concentrate instead on probing for specifics (the “what’s” and “whys”).
Let’s look at an example of a supervisor with a Driver communication style redirecting the performance of an associate with an Investigator style. Note how the supervisor adapts the basic steps for giving redirection to a style that is compatible with her associate’s style, not necessarily her own. She enters the feedback discussion well prepared, ready to provide lots of facts and specific details. She knows her associate is going to want to know “why” he needs to improve his performance, not just “what” she sees as unsatisfactory performance.

Driver Giving Redirection to an Investigator

Step 1—Describe the behavior or performance you want to redirect.

Sharon:
Bill, we need to talk about your follow-through on the customer inquiries assigned to you in the database. Of the 49 inquiries—all five weeks old or older—21 are at a Stage 3 or higher in reaching resolution. That means 28—or over 50 percent—have had initial contact but little follow-up.

Step 2—Listen to the reaction of your feedback recipient.

If Bill acknowledges that he has not consistently followed through on customer inquiries and that this is a problem, Sharon can move immediately to Step 5 and help Bill develop an action plan. Otherwise, Sharon must take the time to help Bill understand and acknowledge the impact his performance is having on others. Until Bill recognizes the consequences of his performance and takes responsibility for them, there’s little incentive for him to change.

Step 3—Explain the effect the behavior/performance is having on the organization.

Sharon:
When you are slow in reaching resolution on inquiries, it has far-reaching effects. For example, until an inquiry reaches Stage 4, the fulfillment department can’t access it and begin preparations for processing. This causes a backlog online and makes it difficult for fulfillment to schedule employees.

We know that delays in follow-through result in fewer sales. We need to be responsive to customer inquiries while their interest is strong. Delays result in lower commissions for you, missed sales targets for our team, and less revenue for the company.

Step 4—Help your feedback recipient acknowledge that a problem exists and take responsibility for it.

Sharon should continue to discuss the situation with Bill until he acknowledges his responsibility for the situation:

Bill:
I can see that I need to move more quickly if I want to meet our sales goals. Let’s set up a timetable.

Step 5—Develop a plan that will help the receiver of your feedback adjust his or her actions.

Sharon:
Bill, in order to meet our goals, we need to reach resolution on all inquiries within eight weeks of the inquiry date. What can you do, and how can I help, to increase your rate of follow-through?

Bill and Sharon can now work together to set short- and long-term goals for Bill’s performance and create an action plan that will help Bill meet those goals.

Step 6—Thank your feedback recipient for his or her efforts.

After they’ve made specific plans, Sharon can thank Bill, review their conversation, and arrange a future meeting:

Sharon:
Bill, thanks for taking the time for this talk. You’ve acknowledged that your delays in reaching resolution are having negative effects, and you’ve identified several steps that will help you reach resolution more quickly. I’m here to help you if you need it. Let’s get together again next Tuesday and assess the progress you’ve made.

Being aware of the four communication styles and adjusting your feedback to the style of the person to whom you are speaking can help you give and receive feedback more effectively. In the next chapter, you will have the chance to assess your current level of feedback skills and create an action plan for developing them further.

Chapter Six Review
Match each description with the appropriate communication style. Each style should only be used once.
1. Detail-oriented, accurate	Select ... Collaborator Investigator Contributor Driver
2. Direct, task-oriented	Select ... Collaborator Investigator Contributor Driver
3. Supportive, avoids change and confrontation	Select ... Collaborator Investigator Contributor Driver
4. Relationship-oriented, enthusiastic	Select ... Collaborator Investigator Contributor Driver
5. In order to fully appreciate others’ communication styles, you must first understand and appreciate:
6. Whether you are giving or receiving feedback, it is important to be aware of, and in some cases, match:
Get the answers.

Pamela Lizardi was appointed as the Training & Staff Development Administrator for the Trial Courts of Maricopa County in July 2003 after serving as the Training Coordinator for Maricopa County Limited Jurisdiction Courts since March 2002. Pam has spent over 22 years in the United States Army in various positions both in the active service and the National Guard. Pam has written numerous training programs, most significantly is Improving One-on-One Training. Pam has a successful 19 year training background. Recently she completed her Masters in Education with Ottawa University, graduating Suma Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA. She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. Pam is also adjunct faculty with Mesa Community College in the Judicial Studies program. She holds certificates from Arizona Dept. of Education in teaching Career & Technical Education, Business & Marketing, Adult Education, and Secondary Education in History & Business. Pam continues her to learn with two organizations, National Association of State Judicial Educators and the American Society of Training and Development, along with additional college classes.

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