04.05.2024 Today’s Insights from Harvard Business Review: Discuss Work Styles Before Collaborating with Someone
Dear Students,
Let’s build on yesterday’s theme of open communication as a key competency for the global workplace. At the most basic level, ambitious international students like you need to recognize that effective communication will drive your advancement (or lack thereof) in a Western environment.
While sensing this, some young professionals (although hopefully not you or your friends!) nonetheless incorrectly assume that it’s best to communicate (or initiate communication) with “higher-ups”/manager(s) only when an issue or problem needs to be addressed, during an annual review or in weekly “boss-scheduled” check-in meetings. Executive Coach Anke Thiele is spot-on, however, in advocating for the many, proven benefits of “pre-work” communication, within the HBR article below.
https://hbr.org/2024/05/before-you-start-collaborating-with-someone-talk-about-your-work-styles?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_Active&deliveryName=NL_DailyAlert_20240503
 |
When you’re working with new people, spending time upfront to have an explicit and open conversation about each other’s work styles and preferences can prove to be one of the best time investments. This “style alignment” conversation can lay a foundation for trust and understanding and help you set agreements for how to successfully work together. Yet, many people shy away from having these conversations for two reasons. First, they worry that it will take up too much time. Second, they fear that it might make style differences more obvious and aren’t sure how to bridge those. By having open and deep conversations about style and preferences, something powerful happens. If you better understand where someone is coming from, you don’t just react to their behavior and feel annoyed by making potentially false assumptions about why someone is behaving a certain way. Instead, you can bring more compassion and less reactivity into your work relationships and maybe even preempt work conflict.
hbr.org
|
Our coaches want to help candidates like you to leverage Thiele’s perspectives and tips, informed by her MBA in International Management, and as a leadership consultant to companies like Google, to proactively set the groundwork for successful collaborations and partnerships, multiple promotions and career fulfillment through teaming with others!
Enjoy your weekend, whatever your preferred style of “work” or “play”!
Best,
Amy-Louise