BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
working style of their employees. It is a way of defining how an employee is feeling and connecting with others right at that moment in time and does wonders in building communication, trust and understanding between indi- viduals within an organization. While it’s a great tool for getting a general sense for how colleagues might interact, it’s important to remember that no one reacts the same way in every situation. A behavioral profile isn’t predictive or comprehensive, but it can give context. Te best way to use a behavioral profile is with a four-
step debriefing strategy with an outside facilitator. Here is how it works. After having the employee answer the assess- ment questions which generates the profile report, the as- sessment facilitator reviews the employee’s profile with the owner or manager to discuss how it fits with their current role. Te second step is to separately debrief the employee and see how accurately they feel the profile fits at that time. Te third step is where the facilitator conducts a debriefing session with the owner or manager and the employee. Te fourth and final step is to do a group debriefing with all members of your team who have completed the profile, to open dialogue with colleagues about their communication types and preferences. Tis approach goes a long way in helping your team members understand themselves. Tis can help to prevent and resolve the behavioral misunder- standings that inevitably take place between employees in your company.
Tis four-step debriefing strategy used with a behav-
ioral profile is one of the best ways to help your team focus on resolving differences and building understanding, trust and rapport.
Learn to behave
In my on-site consulting and training, another exercise I use to build trust and rapport is to split the employees into pairs and have them role-play and practice using the wrong
way/right way formula for resolving misunderstandings. Tis shows them how to encourage two-way communi- cation and understanding as compared to shutting down discussion and assigning blame. I ask the participants to do it the wrong way first. An example in which one employee was frustrated with anoth- er about turning in paperwork late would sound something like this: “You never get your paperwork processed in a timely
manner. What is wrong with you? Don’t you see how you are creating all kinds of problems for my department?” Here they made their partner wrong. Te first employee blamed them personally for failing to provide the notifica- tion that they needed in a timely manner. Done in the real world, this approach usually will make the partner defen- sive and cause even greater repercussions. Next, I have them practice the right way, sounding something like this: “When I do not promptly receive from you the noti-
fication to approve a customer’s credit, I can’t process the order in a timely manner. How can we do this differently to speed up the process?” In this approach the focus is on the action, not on the
person. It opens the door for two-way communication to resolve the conundrum in a constructive manner. Te purpose of this exercise is to give the participants a
tool to resolve their work relational issues in a productive and nonthreatening manner. Use this exercise in your next team meeting. Have them
practice it a few times, and then be on the lookout for an opportunity to praise them when you see them using the right approach in the workplace. Tis will go a long way in helping them play in the same sandbox and get along. Tis will ultimately create a more harmonious and less stressful workplace. Contact me for more ideas on how to imple- ment these concepts into your company.
If your team of employees is like most other small businesses, you have a variety of different behavior styles working there, even among your crew members.
Tom Borg is a business consultant who works at the intersection of leadership, communication and culture. As a thought leader, he works with his green industry clients and their leadership teams to help them connect, communicate and work together better without all the drama. To ask him a question please call 734.404.5909, email him at
tom@tomborg.com or visit his website at
tomborgconsulting.com.
irrigationandlighting.org November 2023 Irrigation & Lighting 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
