Category: Communication

How to clean up the communication chaos

Written by Wyvill Leanne on 23 January 2025. Posted in Business writing, Communication, Team building.

Just like mystery messes left for others to clean up in the communal kitchen,

lazy communication creates chaos that others have to sort out…often with a large serve of resentment.

What if, along with your other goals for 2025, you added one about making your communication habits more hygienic?

Here are 5 ideas for where to start:

1. Respond to Unanswered Emails and Messages

Like an overflowing sink of dirty dishes, these neglected communications create a backlog, force others to pick up the slack, and can lead to missed deadlines and important information falling through the cracks. It disrupts workflow and the lack of consideration doesn’t encourage others to want to work with you.

2. Learn Splatter-Proof Writing Techniques

Just as nobody likes to clean up someone else’s microwave mess, no one wants to piece together your “all-over-the-place” message so they can understand your point. Or make urgent, apologetic phone calls to mop up your mistakes. A poorly written or formatted email, for example, is messy, unprofessional, and leaves a bad impression.

3. Complete Shared Documents, Forms and Files

Empty containers and spills left on the counter make others wonder what was there and what happened. So does forgetting to fill in key details or providing only the briefest of bullet points. This allows assumptions and suspicions to affect decisions, sometimes with undesirable consequences. Guessing wastes time and diminishes trust.

4. Cool Your Head Before You Lob a Salvo (not the tambourine-tapping kind!)

Loud, aggressive or disrespectful communication is like a food fight – it’s chaotic and leaves a huge (and sometimes expensive) mess. It can make bystanders feel endangered or uncomfortable. Yelling, interrupting, and using inflammatory language are food-fight equivalents at work. Short-term relief from pent-up frustration, often disguised as friendly crossfire, does little to slacken underlying tensions and a lot more to erode psychological safety.

5. Speak Up When Something’s Broken

If the dishwasher stopped working, you’d tell the person who knows how to get it fixed. If the coffee caddy was empty, you’d tell the person responsible for ordering more. Don’t allow communication blunders to pile up or missing information to cause headaches. Be alert to signs that something’s wrong and let the right people know before the grumbles get any louder.

Just as maintaining a clean communal kitchen requires effort and cooperation, so too does effective workplace communication.

If you’d like to avoid communication chaos, book a complimentary and unconditional Communication Coaching Clarity Call.

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Communicate confidently with people with disability

Written by Wyvill Leanne on 3 December 2024. Posted in Communication, Team building.

Communicating with people who have disabilities can feel awkward.

Have you ever noticed yourself or someone else speaking more loudly to a person in a wheelchair?

Or slowing your speech when talking to a person wearing very dark glasses?

Your intent to be helpful and mindful of disability could backfire.

And not all disabilities are visible or obvious.

December 3 spotlights the International Day of People With Disability.

Spend some time today learning how to communicate confidently with people with disability and about them.

The Australian Government Style Manual’s website has a clear information page on how to “use inclusive language that respects diversity”, such as:

☑️ Focus on the person, mentioning disability only when it’s relevant to your message or interaction.

☑️ Use person-first language when you don’t know individual or community preferences, i.e. describe the person and then the disability.

The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations offers general tips for communicating with people with disability and for different types of disability, like:

🚫 Don’t exaggerate your mouth movements when talking to a person with a hearing impairment as this will actually make it hard for them to lip-read.

🚫 Avoid saying or writing negative or pity-prompting expressions. For example, ‘people who use a wheelchair’ is preferred to ‘wheelchair bound’.

People with Disability Australia has published a guide that puts the need for inclusive and respectful language around disability in context and offers preferred alternative phrases.

For excellent tips on how to ask people with disability what their communication needs are and be open to communicating differently, the Queensland Government’s Disability Action Week webpage offers various valuable resources: www.qld.gov.au/daw.

Want to improve your communication with people of all kinds or ability? book a complimentary and unconditional Communication Coaching Clarity Call.

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What’s your Christmas OOO message?

Written by Wyvill Leanne on 30 November 2024. Posted in Communication, Team building.

Out of ideas for your Christmas out-of-office (OOO) message?

I can help you.

In the rush to finish your To Do Before End of 2024 List (especially if you prefer checking out of the office and into an aisle seat earlier in December), you might forget to communicate your absence with an automated email.

A well-crafted (and remembered to be switched on) OOO message maintains your professionalism while you’re away, letting others know you haven’t disappeared entirely.

Plain and professional

If you’re aiming for polite and proper, include the following details:

A concise and informative subject line, like “I’m currently Out of Office” or “I’m on leave”.
A polite greeting, such as “Thank you for contacting me.” or “Merry Christmas!”
The dates of your absence, e.g., “I am away from [date] to [date].”
(Optional) brief reason for not being available, maybe “I’m enjoying some rest and recharging over the Christmas-New Year break” or “I’m spending Christmas overseas this year and accessing the internet will be limited”.
What the reader might do instead, e.g. contact a colleague or the main office (provide their details), send you a message another way, or wait for your return.
A polite closing, such as “Enjoy the festive season” or “Best wishes for now and I will be in contact in the new year”.

Make ’em smile

If you’d rather something less formal, maybe even cheeky, choose one of these:

Out of office, out of mind (until [date]). Merry Christmas in the meantime!
I’m currently unavailable. Please leave a message with a joke. Preferably one you didn’t get from a Christmas cracker.
Out of office from [date], but my inbox will no doubt be stuffed with festive cheer and questionable family photos until [date].
Currently unavailable. Please try again after a few mince pies and a glass of bubbles (best bet’s after [date]).
I’m currently unavailable. Please try again after I’ve finished streaming my 12 Days of Christmas binge-watching from [date to date].
Far from the office but closer to my family for the first time in months. Until the fighting starts. Could be back as soon as [date].
Beach, barbies and beers are beckoning. Back on [date].
Currently queuing for Christmas prawns. Might be back by [date].
Closed for business and conserving my energy for the Boxing Day sales. See you on [date].
Pretending I still have plenty on my plastic and spending with wild abandon because I forgot to plan ahead again. Please leave a tip with your message.
If I haven’t returned your message by [date] please send sniffer dogs to [local shopping centre]. I may not have survived extended shopping hours.
Reconnecting with loved ones and refusing to answer work emails until [date].
Out of office, sleighing the holiday season.
Wrapping up the year with plenty of cheer but had to duck out for more tinsel. Back on [date].
Wishing you a peaceful Christmas. Deck the halls, not each other.
Jingle that bell all you like but I’m outa here from [date] to [date].
Out of office, trying to untangle Christmas lights and my family. Back on [date].
Currently unavailable, arguing with my girlfriend about which Christmas movie to watch. Back on [date], or sooner if she hides the remote.
Buying my nephews and nieces drum kits for Christmas to guarantee I’ll be back in the office by [date].

Some useful tips

Keep it concise.
Don’t apologise – you are entitled to take breaks and expect them to be uninterrupted.
Test your message to check it works (functionally) and that it’s right for your personality and business brand tone (reputationally).
Remember to turn it on before you leave and off when you return.

Whether you say it short and sweet, properly professional or quirkily Christmasy, an automated out-of-office email is a kind courtesy to let others know when you’ll be working again.

Want to improve your messaging all year round? Book a complimentary, unconditional Tell Me More call.

Book a Tell Me More Call

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Your Christmas gifting (colour) sorted.

Written by Wyvill Leanne on 17 November 2024. Posted in Communication, Team building.

It’s that time of year again: Kris Kringle, Secret Santa or end-of-year appreciation Christmas gift for staff and no idea what to buy.

Whatever you have to give someone you work with in December, it can be very stressful when you don’t know what to get them (and you don’t want to look like you’ve never noticed them until you drew their name).

Maybe you’re a scrooge and everyone gets a “bah humbug” instead, despite psychology and neuroscience suggesting that gifting actually makes us feel good.

To maximise the benefits of gift-giving, we’re advised to take the time and make the effort to savour the act and not let it add to end of year stress.

Here’s your perfect gift guide unwrapped so you can recognise and reward your people with really relevant Christmas gifts.

Giving the same Christmas gift to everyone is convenient and ‘fair’, but is it meaningful?

Team leaders should know enough about their people to be able to organise something for each one that says, “I recognise what matters to you”… especially since A Great Place To Work survey found that “Recognise me” is the most important driver of great work (37%) and that people who feel recognised are twice as likely share new ideas, which boosts innovation and commercial competitiveness.

Recognition is not just about acknowledging the work effort. It’s about acknowledging what motivates the effort and engagement.

That’s why True Colors training is so valuable.

Rooted in psychological theory, it’s a framework that identifies each person’s brightest colour (dominant traits) as either Orange, Blue, Green, or Gold. It’s a shorthand code for understanding behaviours, communication styles and choices.

Gift-giving that demonstrates you recognise each person’s interests, joys and strengths is incredibly meaningful. In turn, it boosts workplace morale and job satisfaction.

It also means you haven’t fallen into the trap of giving gifts you’d like to receive yourself or you think will elicit the biggest “wow!” response to satisfy your own need for recognition.

What really makes a “wow” giving and receiving moment?

According to the Association for Psychological Science, givers are more likely to choose gifts they think will elicit a strong immediate reaction rather than something that offers personal satisfaction for the recipient.

National University of Singapore researcher Adelle Yang and her colleague Oleg Urminsky from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business tested their “smile-seeking hypothesis” in various studies. They discovered that givers’ propensity for “wow” gifts disappeared when they learned they wouldn’t be able to see the recipient’s reaction.

The people you gift to are more likely to give you the “wow” response when they realise that you have made the effort to find something that has meaning for them.

The True Colors gift-giving guide

This list will save you some thinking-about-it time, especially if you already know your team’s True Colors composition.

Orange: The Adventurous Spirit

Personality Traits: Energetic, spontaneous, action-oriented

Insight: Oranges are more likely to value ‘doing’ and group experiences over objects, preferring to be in the moment and making a memory rather than keeping something 3D. Leaf Van Boven and Thomas Gilovich’s research showed that experiential purchases, such as travel or events, yield greater happiness than material goods because they foster lasting memories and social connection.

Gift Ideas: Escape room tickets, concert tickets, vouchers for rock climbing, go-karting or mini-golf, adventure gear, latest gadgets that spark excitement

Blue: The Compassionate Soul

Personality Traits: Empathetic, caring, relationship-focused

Insight: Because of their abundance of mirror neurons that trigger syncing emotionally with others, Blues value personalised gifts and gestures of social impact. Such expressions of connection enhance existing bonds and strengthen feelings of belonging and loyalty.

Gift Ideas: Handcrafted keepsakes, framed photos, charitable donation in their name

Green: The Analytical Mind

Personality Traits: Logical, curious, problem-solving

Insight: Greens like to take their time learning about things, which is why they prefer functional and intellectually stimulating gifts that challenge them to create or achieve something tangible

Gift Ideas: Non-fiction books on their favourite topics, hobby kits, high-tech tools

Gold: The Stabilising Force

Personality Traits: Organised, dependable, traditional

Insight: Value, durability, and structure matter to Golds, so they appreciate high-quality, classic gifts with elegant lines and practical purposes. Aesthetically pleasing with functionality sums it up.

Gift Ideas: Premium pens and planners, fine wines, crystal vases

While thoughtful, personalised gifting may not be as quick and easy as volume orders or picking presents you’d like for yourself, it is more memorable and appreciated.

So you’re better prepared for buying gifts for your team next season, book a complimentary, unconditional Tell Me More call.

Book a Tell Me More Call

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Are you in the dark about your team’s strengths?

Written by Wyvill Leanne on 6 November 2024. Posted in Communication, Team building.

Not knowing the strengths within your team is like fumbling in the dark to get stuff done.

That’s why strengths coordination is the #1 most important skill project leaders need to have.

Recognising and leveraging each team member’s unique abilities improves task alignment, communication, and creativity, which ultimately boosts productivity and engagement.

In other words, playing to a team’s diverse strengths leads to better performance and project outcomes.

What do the stats say?

Gallup’s research shows that when managers focus on strengths, employees are:

6 x more likely to be engaged in their work.
8% more productive.
15% less likely to quit.

And organisations that play to their strengths experience a 29% increase in profit and 72% lower turnover in high-turnover organisations.

This makes sense because when team members are given tasks that align with their strengths, they are naturally more motivated and productive.

Whereas NOT playing to team strengths can mean:

misaligned tasks leading to time-and-budget-draining doubling up or process gaps.
escalating unhealthy conflict from misunderstood working styles.
stifled creativity because of groupthink or single-person dominance.
missed deadlines and opportunities thanks to poor communication.
frustration and burnout from the stress of trying to work ‘in the dark’.

It’s tempting to think everyone should have the same approach to getting things done, yet just because others go about something differently doesn’t mean they (you) are ‘wrong’.

But how do you identify individual strengths (especially when the project is short-term with little time to find out) and what can you do if it turns out that everyone has pretty much the same ones?

That’s where a personality profiling workshop like True Colors makes it easy and quick. At the same time, the team discovers what makes each other tick.

How does personality profiling make a difference to project management?

Acknowledging individual contributions to the team’s overall strength and success instead of expecting each person to be excellent at everything in their job description creates a more attractive and fulfilling work environment.

An engaged team is more likely to stay for the long ride and your own time won’t be diverted to recruiting recruit new members.

Stress affects everyone differently and sometimes we don’t recognise how it takes shape in others (or ourselves). Stress can compromise personal and team performance capacity, regardless of individual or collective strengths. Recognising different triggers means you can anticipate stress points and prevent misunderstandings from escalating into conflicts, which in turn cause costly delays and mistakes.

How does True Colors help project leaders?

True Colors is a simple, accessible tool that helps you understand each team member’s core strengths – fast. For example:

Golds are organised, responsible, and detail-oriented.
Greens are analytical, logical, and innovative problem-solvers.
Blues are compassionate, empathetic, and strong communicators.
Oranges are energetic, spontaneous, and adaptable.

As the project lead, you’ve got a lot of moving parts to handle – deadlines, resources, stakeholder expectations, and of course, your team. When you understand the individual strengths and communication preferences of each team member, you can better manage the project and keep the team on track towards success.

So, knowing who on your team is the:

organised, detail-oriented planner and checker
analytical problem-solver and project designer
empathetic and creative communicator
adaptable innovator and calculated risk taker

means you’re able to:

optimise resource allocation, like putting analytical Greens on complex problems and collaborative Blues on team connectivity.
enhance communication, because some people need data-driven discussions while others value the walk over the talk.
recognise and prevent stress triggers – who struggles with chaos and who resists rigid structures?

Why is recognising individual strengths so important for project leaders?

In the Journal of Business Research, Human Resource Studies academics at Tilburg University in The Netherlands identified “strengths coordination” as a key determinant of team performance. They also noted that the “effects on individual performance are negative when strengths diversity is low.”

You’ve got to know what strengths you have and which ones you’re lacking to understand what your team needs to perform better.

True Colors training with your team helps you to identify strength gaps, so when you’re adding to the team or building your next one, you know what to look for and what you don’t need more of.

It’s also useful for pinpointing opportunities for professional and personal development for each person and as a team.

Plus, when you know what strengths each team member likes to exercise, you can consider new ways to motivate and incentivise them.

If you want to stop fumbling in the dark and find out your team’s strengths faster, book a complimentary, unconditional Tell Me More call.

Book a Tell Me More Call

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