The value of highly communicative teams is well understood among business and HR leaders. However, what may be less widely known is the financial implications of ineffective team communications or the financial gains that can be realized from exceptional communication. For example, a recent study found that in U.S. hospitals, a whopping $12 billion per year is lost due to ineffective team communication. Meanwhile, a robust meta-analysis of more than 150 studies and over 9,000 teams has confirmed the link between team communication and performance.

The level of communication among a team can impact a number of other factors which are essential to successful teams, including trust. When lines of communication are closed and/or infrequent, team members lack information to tell them what is working well, or what needs to improve. Without this feedback, members are left to speculate or second-guess, leading to loss of trust. Communication within high-performing teams can be dramatically improved by simply understanding and appreciating each team members’ communication style and preferences.

When it comes to Effective Communication, Style Matters.

In today’s workplace, the commonly held phrase “there’s no I in team” may be a misguided concept. The fact is, teams are made up of a lot of “I’s” and arguably the best performing teams are those comprised of a diverse set of individuals, all bringing unique and often-conflicting communication styles and values to the group.

Communication style is the way in which we share information with others through language. Although many team members like to believe they are saying exactly what they mean, that’s not always true – especially when talking to someone who uses a communication style very different from their own.

Everyone has unique communication styles that are influenced by many factors such as, age, culture, and geography. Team members’ predominant communication or behavioral style affects both verbal and non-verbal communication, but also how information is organized and presented, credibility is or is not established, relationship-building, conflict management and resolution and even decision-making and problem solving.

 

Understanding and Improving Communication Effectiveness.

Discovering the best way to communicate with other team members can have a dramatic impact on a number of fronts – including business performance, job performance, and overall satisfaction. When a team can identify each members’ own working style, as well as their leaders’ style, they are better equipped to leverage the talents and contributions each has to offer and truly improve performance.

That’s why more companies are utilizing talent assessments and data reports to provide in-depth insights into the different styles and communication preferences among team members. Understanding and appreciating the different behavioral styles of each member, and how they influence others, will drive better team cohesiveness, higher productivity, engagement, and performance levels.

 

Today’s advanced talent assessment solutions can provide companies:

• Easy-to-interpret reports that visually represent the primary behavioral styles of team members in relation to each other.
• The problem-solving and communication approach of all team members, providing insight into how different styles work best together to achieve results.
• Communication preferences of team members, with detailed direction on how to approach different styles including key words and phrase that facilitate effective team communication.
  

Start Building Better Communication Today.

As they say, in business today “collaboration is key.” Yet, collaboration depends entirely on effective communication. If you want to boost team collaboration, you’ll need to help team members become more self-aware of their individual communication preferences and expectations. The best way to demonstrate to your work teams that diverse perspectives and unique ways of thinking are valued – and even expected – is by investing in team assessments that promote healthy and productive ways to voice them.

To learn more about XBInsight’s Team Assessments, contact us at info@xbinsight.com