Communication in business is vital, and to have a team where the communication flows is crucial. The importance of team communication and building a business where team members can be open, honest will be reflected in the businesses success. However, there can be times when the flow of communication becomes stagnant, or perhaps you are finding that some team members are understanding you and others not.  You may be quick to assume that they are not listening, or not interested in what is being relayed, but it is more than likely it is because of the modalities of communication.

The modalities of communication

A key point to remember when talking about communication is that everyone thinks and learns differently. No team is the same, and no team member is the same, nor do they think like you! It is important to look at each team member as an individual first and understand how they learn, how they communicate and respond to others.

Within ActionCoachLiverpool, one of the group coaching sessions is about team communication and VAK.

Visual

Auditory

Kinaesthetic

These are the three main modalities of communication which means, these are the three main ways that people think and learn.

Visual

40% of people are visual communicators. These team members will learn by the images and pictures they see. They think in pictures and are focused on how things and messages look and will spend time sketching out ideas. They will understand tasks and actions more quickly when they can picture it in their mind. Visual communicators will be fans of process charts, spider diagrams and flow diagrams which will help to keep them on track, especially when having to process long verbal instructions – it will be easier for them to break it down into processes which can be put into a visual format.

Take a look at their note book, diary or how they write meeting notes – if there’s plenty of colour, diagrams, charts – they are a visual learner. They will have some lengthy  ‘to do’ lists too!

Listen to your team, if you hear an individual using phrases such as “let me show you” or “I would like to see how that will work”, “It needs to look like this”,  you have a visual communicator.

Communication tips for a visual communicator:

  • Breakdown tasks into steps and then into a visual flow chart so that can see what needs doing by when.
  • Have in mind that they are unlikely to remember something if they are told, follow up with a written instruction.
  • Use their language of learning, for example, change “Can I tell you where we are with this project” to “Can I show you where we are with this project”

Auditory

Around 20% of people are auditory communicators which means that they are most interested in a message sounding right. They will be able to listen and learn via verbal instructions and most likely be able to repeat it back to you, almost word for word.  These communicators are talkers! Whether face to face or on the phone, they would rather speak to you that receive a message in written form.
Auditory team members can be easily distracted by noise and you may notice them close their eyes, particularly in meetings, conferences and where they are receiving important information. By closing their eyes they will be shutting off any visual distractions so they can not only hear but also process what they are learning.

Listen (!) out for phrases within your team such as: “that sounds good” and “I hear you” to know who is auditory.

Communication tips for an auditory communicator:

  • Clearly and concisely, tell them what is required.
  • Be aware of your tone of voice and be consistent with it.
  • When being praised, auditory communicators like to be told how they are doing.

Kinaesthetic

Kinaesthetic communicators are hands on people. They learn by actually doing, moving and having hands on experience, which means they are excellent with their hands and often ‘makers’ of a product.  You may have a team member who is often engrossed in a task and who won’t hear their name when called – you have to physically go and touch them on the shoulder or arm to get their attention – they are kinaesthetic.

When looking at tasks and messages, their interest is whether it evokes the right feelings and whether it feels right.

Listen out for team members using phrases such as “I feel the XYZ should be XXX” and words such as grasp, touch and gut feeling.

Communication tips for an kinaesthetic communicator:

  • Create an emotional impact with the task in hand.
  • Show examples where you can or better still walk them through the task with a hands on approach.
  • Talk slowly with them – don’t rush your words!

Remember though!  Most people will have a dominant or preferred communication /learning style but they may respond to all 3 styles in different situations. Therefore, when it comes to the importance of team communication in your business, have in mind that these tips are tools and aids to understanding your team’s personality and how to get the best from them – which can change and adapt as a person develops.

Get in touch if you would like to know more, or if you would like a session with your team.