The Situation: Changing Dynamics
When an internal service group received the results of their customer survey, they discovered they had poor overall ratings. The team was responsible for providing service to members of the organization. In meeting with the senior manager and the individual team members, it became clear that individuals were used to working “in silos.” They partnered with individuals who had the same or similar work ethics and communication traits. This made it challenging to work with and understand others who had different work styles and communication modes.
The Solution/Action Plan:
Each member was asked to change their work partner to someone with the opposite communication style. They used their Platinum rule assessment as a guideline. Thinkers paired up with Socializers. Directors paired up with Relators. The entire team planned to meet every other week for six months. In each meeting, an individual team member set the agenda. This continued until each one of the team members had taken a leadership role in the meetings and shared their new learning and understandings regarding working with a different partner.
The Outcome:
After the six-month trial period, the team members returned to their original partners with a better sense of how to adapt to different communication styles. When the team got the results of their next customer survey, they discovered their approval rating had significantly improved.
“The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.”
Captain Jack Sparrow The Pirates of the Caribbean