Patti Lind - Communication at Work


February 2009

Coloring in Action

One of the teams I work with has taken the painting concept a step further: they have a color wheel posted on their staff lounge door, and some of the team members actively use the “color concept” in their interactions with one another.

Last week, one team member approached a colleague with an apology. She said “I used the wrong color paint with you the other day and I'm sorry.” Another team member overheard team members gossiping about a colleague and politely interrupted them by saying “I don't think that is the right color paint, do you?”

Defending Yourself Against Criticism
by Jennifer James

This book was originally titled “The Slug Manual” as an ode to the proliferation of slugs here in the Northwest. Jennifer uses the word “slug” to express how appealing uninvited criticism can be. It is an amusing book with many practical ideas for responding to someone who would much rather work on your life, than their own.

Find the Right Hue for Yourself and Others

When I go to work with a team, the first thing I advise them to do is pay attention to their moment to moment communication, because this is what creates their work experience. Seems like a simple concept doesn't it? And yet I come across individuals all day long who desire a collaborative, open, respectful work environment, but who make the absolute opposite choices in their moment to moment communication.

To illustrate the importance of this concept, I use the analogy of an artist. Consider Monet - he had images of his garden in mind, and used the colors blue, green, purple and pink to create it. If he had selected blacks, oranges and reds, the paintings would have turned out completely different.

This is true in our lives, as well. All the teams I meet are seeking very similar visions for their ideal working environment (e.g. respectful, cooperative, fun, honest). Well, just as a painter has to pick up the right color to get a blue painting, individuals need to interact with one another on a moment-to-moment basis in a way that reflects what they hope for themselves.

Gossip, frequent irritability, not helping each other out are the "wrong colors" if the vision is for a close, cooperative working environment. No leader is influential enough to turn everyone's "wrong color" paint into a beautiful painting. Instead, everyone needs to take ownership of the fact that they are holding a paint brush and actively applying paint to the picture. The future of what they want is being created in each and every moment.

You might want to sit down tonight and reflect on just what type of work experience you want. After you decide on your ideal scenario, write down the moment-to-moment communication that aims you in that direction. Now write down the two or three behaviors that leads you to the exact opposite of what you want. Commit to using the right color paint for a week and see what happens. It's worth a try, right?

Do you have a question for Patti? Send an email to patti@pattilind.com and it may be answered in next month's newsletter.

February 2009