WEBVTT - Be a communication chameleon

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip, just like yesterday's, comes from the new book

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<v Speaker 1>The Remix. In this book, workplace expert Lindsay Pollock give

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<v Speaker 1>strategies for how wise managers can lead diverse teams. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to save ours and many headaches by becoming

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<v Speaker 1>what Pollock calls a communication chameleon. If you've ever felt

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<v Speaker 1>like you are communicating in a totally different language from

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<v Speaker 1>your colleagues, especially those of other generations, you are not alone,

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<v Speaker 1>she writes. Too many people believe that effective communication is

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<v Speaker 1>about communicating the way you find easiest or best. Sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>that works, but what is more important is communicating in

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<v Speaker 1>the way that will best be understood by the person

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<v Speaker 1>you want to influence. She can and use no matter

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<v Speaker 1>what your role or job title. If you want to

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<v Speaker 1>communicate across generations and all differences, you have to become

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<v Speaker 1>an expert on how to best communicate with the people

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<v Speaker 1>you want to communicate with. How do you do that?

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<v Speaker 1>It's quite simple. You ask. That's it, she writes. Here's

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<v Speaker 1>why asking is so wise. We can waste tons of

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<v Speaker 1>time and energy worrying about the best way to reach someone.

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<v Speaker 1>With a manager, we might wonder is it okay to

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<v Speaker 1>call or drop by, or would the person really prefer

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<v Speaker 1>an email? With a client. If a person doesn't respond

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<v Speaker 1>to an email quickly, we might wonder if everything is

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<v Speaker 1>okay and spend time brooding about this when the reality

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<v Speaker 1>is that the person is often on the road and

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<v Speaker 1>a quick text is the best way to get his

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<v Speaker 1>or her attention. Some people never check voicemail. You can

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<v Speaker 1>hate this all you want, but your unhappiness is unlikely

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<v Speaker 1>to reform the person's habits. So pollock reck Men's having

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<v Speaker 1>a conversation with anyone you communicate with regularly, ask these questions.

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<v Speaker 1>What is the best way to receive an answer from

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<v Speaker 1>you quickly? By phone, by email, by instant message, by

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<v Speaker 1>dropping by your desk? How do you give feedback? Should

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<v Speaker 1>you schedule a one on one? Should the person come

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<v Speaker 1>up with their own feedback and present it to you,

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<v Speaker 1>or do you like to start the conversation? Do you

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<v Speaker 1>like to give feedback on a regular basis or in

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<v Speaker 1>a more ad hawkway. What are your email preferences and

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<v Speaker 1>pet peeves in general? Do you prefer shorter or longer emails,

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<v Speaker 1>full sentences or bullet points or emojis? Okay, how formal

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<v Speaker 1>are you? Do you mind quick texts with typos? Are

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<v Speaker 1>you open to face timing, skyping or video conferencing when

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<v Speaker 1>not in the office. Finally, Pollock recommends asking about general

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<v Speaker 1>work habits because clashes and misunderstandings here can lead to

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<v Speaker 1>all sorts of woes. So you a morning person or

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<v Speaker 1>should you be left alone until you've had your coffee?

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<v Speaker 1>Do you like to work from home or do you

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<v Speaker 1>prefer to be in the office. Do you leave early

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<v Speaker 1>on Wednesdays to attend your kids taekwondo class? Do you

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<v Speaker 1>catch up and send a flurry of emails on Sunday nights?

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<v Speaker 1>Does the person actually expect a response on Sunday nights

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<v Speaker 1>or is this solely about his or her own convenience.

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<v Speaker 1>Polic studies generations in the workplace, and she notes that

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes the stereotypes are true. Maybe a baby boomer employee

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<v Speaker 1>prefers the phone, but a millennial never thinks to use

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<v Speaker 1>the calling function on their phone first. But there are

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<v Speaker 1>plenty of texting baby boomers and maybe even millennials who

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<v Speaker 1>prefer formal in person scheduled appointments. Just as a chameleon

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<v Speaker 1>changes color based on surroundings, a communication chameleon uses the

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<v Speaker 1>method and style that the other person prefers. Now, perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>some people listening to this think, well, I shouldn't have

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<v Speaker 1>to do this. People should conform to me, and you

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<v Speaker 1>know many people will, especially if you're in charge. But

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<v Speaker 1>if it's just as easy to text versus email, and

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<v Speaker 1>you know the person you're reaching out to really prefers

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<v Speaker 1>one of these, it's a sign of respect and understanding

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<v Speaker 1>to choose the best one. It strengthens the relationship, and

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<v Speaker 1>most of us are better off having people finding extra

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<v Speaker 1>reasons to like us versus annoying little reasons not to

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<v Speaker 1>like us. So take some time today to ask the

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<v Speaker 1>people you communicate with what they like and what they

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<v Speaker 1>don't and how they'd like to be reached. I promise

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<v Speaker 1>this little exercise will lead to huge payoffs in the future.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is

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