Understanding Workstyles for Team Optimization
Recognizing communication and learning preferences to leverage everyone’s strengths
A software development team at a partner organization expressed interest in leveraging NITW to assist with some management and performance challenges that would benefit from a neuroinclusive lens.
One particular team member was experiencing high levels of stress when she got connected with NITW for coaching. The employee had been experiencing a series of miscommunications and subsequent conflicts with her direct supervisor, which led to a damaged working relationship, high anxiety, and decreased productivity.
A workstyle profile identifies communication preferences, learning style, feedback preferences, task management strategies, strengths, and support needs.
To assist with this employee and to provide a learning example of problem-solving through neuroinclusive adjustments, the NITW team member had both the employee and her manager complete a workstyle profile and facilitated a group debrief. The process allowed the employee and manager to share information with one another about their communication styles, work styles, learning styles, preferences for how to collaborate on tasks, and more. At the end of the process, the employee and manager expressed having a clearer sense of what they both need to do their best work, and that they were better set up for success moving forward. Enough information and context had been provided to minimize future miscommunications, the working relationship was improved, and the employee’s stress levels decreased significantly.
This case study is an anonymized example from a past NITW engagement exemplifying the beneficial impact that NITW can have on team performance as well as organizational excellence.
