Green / Steady Communication Style
During this series, we have been looking at an overview of the 4 main communication styles today we are looking at the 4th style Green / Steady
The importance to us understanding these communication styles is that they unlock the potential in the teams, as everyone is being given information in the format that matches their inherent prefered style. The direct immediate benefit is collaboration, teamwork, efficient use of time and a decrease is disputes. We will bring it altogether in the final next post in this series.
Your Green / Steady colleagues are the 4th important style in the team. They are great team players, good listeners, great at helping resolve conflict and reliable.
Working from home for a Green can be a challange as whilst they are more reserved that Yellows and Reds, they still enjoy being in the team environment. They can also find establishing priorities a challenge as they want to be supportive to everyone and this can create a situation of overpromising and failing to deliver, never intended but as a consequence of not easily being able to say no! or to set delivery dates as they dont want to let down their colleague. This can then manifest into one the the Greens worst fears " Loss of Security" and sudden changes in their routine or job.
As problems can mount up, it is more that likely that tasks will be taken off a Green, which then fuels their worries about job security, ability to perform and losing status.
If you recognise this in your colleague or yourself, it is simple to make some adjustments to work through these possible problem areas. As a line manager, spend time in 1-2-1's going through priorities with the your valuable Green team member. It is better to add than to take away. Reframe with the Green Deadlines and ask them when they will be able to complete the task, don't give them deadlines as this will put more pressure on them and establishing priorities is a challange as it they have too many deadlines may focus on the wrong things.
As a Green being aware of this and putting in place personal learning. Push back and say when you can get a task done. All the other 3 colours do this without fear of looking unable to cope, practice this. Ask when deadlines are and ensure that your colleagues now what workload you have and others priorities are, is a professional manner. Use your 1-2-1 with your line manager to work through these.
Working from home can be a challenge as you will see chores that need doing and it may be that you try to do these as well as working. Keep a separate space for work away form visible home chores
In our next final post in this series we will bring the Reds, Yellows, Greens and Blues, all together and see how they can work like a well oiled machine, or a seized up engine
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