How are the conversations going?
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

In his book The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, John Maxwell notes, “Interaction fuels action.” That is an incredibly true statement. Interaction does fuel action. The question you need to answer is what kind of action? In a great organization, the teams are made up of people who are constantly talking to one another, and the action that they take is moving the organization forward. In poorly run organizations, communication breaks down, and the interactions are irritating at best and often caustic.

A few days ago, I had the great privilege of leading a very high functioning team through a John Maxwell Team DISC training. The training covers DISC Behavioral Training with a leadership focus. What is amazing about this team is that they are already a high functioning team, but their leader knows they can always get better. He knows that the key to their success in the coming year will be to communicate so well that all their interactions fuel positive actions.

The material we covered helped us understand the value each behavioral profile brings along with how they prefer to be communicated with. A high “D”, or Dominance profile, speaks very directly. They don’t like to engage in small talk at work and are known for not offering praise. If a “D” profile needs to work closely with an “I”, or Influence profile, tension will ensue. The “I” is looking for more personal interaction and a bit of praise every day. This interaction makes the “I” feel valued, and they will work much harder. When a team understands the behavioral profiles, they communicate in a way that the other person prefers. They don’t overreact to situations because they aren’t wondering about motives.

After I finished the training, the leader came up to me and said, “What’s next?” That’s just amazing. We had finished the training less than 30 minutes earlier, and he wanted to start building on what they had just learned. No wonder they are a high functioning organization.

If you would like more information on the communication dos and don’ts based on behavior profiles, join Marisa and me for Episode 108 of The Next Page.

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