Robyn Hatcher explains how different backgrounds shape how people interpret workplace communication. Leaders often communicate the same way to everyone, then judge Susan, Robin, and Marc unfairly when they respond differently. Adapting your communication style to each team member changes everything.
How we were raised, what we thought, what our experiences were. Like, maybe we did the job before in another, in another business, and now we know that's the way it's done. Or maybe we're really afraid of numbers and we didn't understand what you were asking me, and I wasn't comfortable to ask you to clarify. So then, just like you said, they go back and they say, oh my God, Susan is such a slacker, and Robin has absolutely no idea what she's doing. Marc, he's okay. But that's because your communication style might have matched Marc's communication style, and therefore Marc understood you. But so many leaders will speak in the same way to each and every individual on their team and expect results that they had in their head. Yeah, yeah. But they don't realize that what's in the other person's head might be completely different.
