What if we were all the same? If we all spoke, wrote, and learned the same way. Everyone would come into work each day, sit down at their desks and do their jobs as if we were clones of one another. Aside from feeling like a Twilight Zone episode, this would just not work. Although we would all get along very well, we would all struggle with the same things.
Fortunately, reality is not like that. Your employees are human, and humans have unique ways of learning and developing that should be addressed. What makes sense to one person may be completely confusing to another. This is how the McQuaig Word Survey can help. It explains how to cater coaching and development programs to each individual’s needs.
While some may be motivated by their own personal success, others are more inclined to support the team. While some desire to be well liked, others could care less. What motivates an employee will affect what coaching approach will be most effective. Coaches often discuss results of growth with their employees therefore they are going to want to focus on outcomes that are appealing to that individual. If someone is motivated by their individual achievements, you are not going to encourage any changes by stressing team wins. The Word Survey Report includes a section that explains the different factors that motivate each individual.
There are not many things in life that are spelled out as clearly for you as the Do and Don’t lists for coaching and developing in the Word Survey Report. These clear cut guidelines are going to help your managers cater their styles according to each individual’s unique preferences. If they know that their employee needs to feel a personal interest or that they cannot handle vague instructions, they can ensure that they meet those needs. If you are the kind of person who likes to build personal relationships with your colleagues, wouldn’t you be more engaged under a manager who took the time to ask how your weekend was?
We aren’t in university anymore (and maybe haven’t been for a while). We are not sitting in lecture halls with hundreds of people staring at a professor who is just rambling on. When we learn at work, it is in smaller groups and more interactive settings. We have the opportunity to cater to different learning styles. And this time, the employees are not the ones paying for their education, the company is. The company wants these programs to be effective so that they can see their return on investment. Within the Learning Style section of the Word Survey Report, you can uncover how each employee likes to participate in activities, their pace of learning, the level of detail necessary, the best structure for information and types of activities that work best.
Based on the inherent differences among people, you cannot assume that one teaching, managing or coaching style will be effective for everyone. Part of achieving success in these roles is being able to adapt to bring the best out of others. But this is a hell of a lot easier to do when you have a report that tells you how. Remember: your employees are human and the more ways that you can address their individual needs, the better the response you will receive.