20 Ways To Communicate Like A Great Teammate
A team is a group of people that trust each other. – Simon Sinek
Trust is built in very small moments. – Brené Brown
Many teams have rules like, “be proactive,” or “empathize,” but have you sat down with your team to discuss the specific communication behaviors you all expect of each other? Doing so can be a powerful way to build trust, reduce frustration, and create accountability.
Here is our list of 20 teammate communications expectations, at Confident Communicators, LLC.
Listen with the intent to understand, not to respond
Pause first. Breathe Second. Speak Third
Consider your goal, audience & message (who needs to know what and why)
Adapt your message to the other person’s communication style (we use DiSC)
Hold teammates accountable when their work isn’t up to standard or they do something that hurts the team (use the feedback formula)
Re-read your email before sending
Our Process For Communicating About Tasks: 1) Acknowledge receipt of requests, 2) Give & revise deadlines proactively, and 3) Close the loop when a task is completed
Identify the task/project/initiative owner (when more than one person is in charge, no one is in charge)
Admit mistakes & apologize without excuses
It’s OK to say no to non-priority requests
Explain your why, always
Ask for what you need
If you can’t be present (be “where your feet are”) and contribute, don’t attend the meeting (just say so in advance)
In project debriefs, explain what you can do better next time
Have a problem with a teammate? Don’t let it fester. Try first to resolve it with them directly. If that doesn’t work, go to your boss for a 3-way conversation. If that doesn’t work, the boss will escalate to HR.
Own your emotions.
Announce your decision-making method upfront (command, consult, consensus, and vote) and remember that consensus is a four-letter word
Acknowledge teammates when they fulfill your needs
Say, I’ll go first (follow up if they didn’t respond, ask for help, get the details you need, break the silence, say the hard thing, take the initiative)
If you’re going to create a similar list, don’t do it in a vacuum. Involve the entire team, to get their buy-in. It will allow you all to hold each other accountable.
