Identifying Their Approach

Once we’ve been intentional about adjusting the pace we use to help each of our team members latch onto a purpose that drives them and yields engagement, we can shift our attention to the second piece of the pattern that Marston identified; is our team member more focused on the task at hand or the people involved in completing that task? Recognizing whether someone operates at a faster or slower pace than we do isn’t rocket science. To that end, we may not even need to listen to what they’re actually telling us. How they speak and move will likely be enough. Identifying their approach will be a bit more involved!

This is where active listening, and the information we can piece together over time through doing so, becomes critical. The team member who loves processes and procedures won’t be motivated by the same things as one who enjoys making sure everyone involved is having a good time. Someone driven by form, fit, and function will rally around a very different message than their peer who prioritizes relationships over the immediate task. How we, as leaders, help each individual connect with a definite purpose can be exponentially more effective when we adapt our approach to what they’re more focused on.

Make no mistake, there is no right or wrong. We’re all wired a bit differently and each team member can be equally impactful in achieving the organization’s overall purpose. But helping them identify the purpose in their own lives that drives them, then connecting that to what we’re working toward as a team, calls for some very tailored communication; tailoring we’ll only be able to do when we’ve invested enough to really know who we’re working with. When we deliver a message that they truly want to receive, rather than the one that we’d want delivered to us, the chances of providing them with a way to measure the impact they’re having increases substantially. And as we speak their language, we’ll be able to provide them with a clear picture showing exactly how what they’re doing matters - and we’ll work through that in more detail soon!