Communication_and_Collaboration_Strategy

Communication and Collaboration Strategy GEN/200 February 28, 2011 Communication and Collaboration Strategies Communicating and collaborating amongst a group or team is essential for success of any kind. Once each individual’s learning style and personality type is assessed, it is possible to develop a strategy for that specific group or team. By acknowledging everyone’s strengths and weaknesses the group can help one another and come to a united end result where each individual feels they contributed their very best. The learning styles I will attempt to create a strategy to follow are verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical and visual/spatial. The verbal/linguistic learning style is able to analyze how to speak to others so that they learn. By teaching others the way they need to understand, the verbal/linguistic person can give definitions or explain a situation or task clearly. The logical/mathematical learning style is a person of reason. Using logic helps groups to eliminate unnecessary information. Scientific reasoning and mathematical skills come easily to the person who has a high intelligence in this learning style. The visual/spatial learning style is one that can visualize the end result and or how the task will grow and progress. It is common for the person who possesses this learning style to be efficient in understanding maps and graphs. Each style is uniquely different in its own way and when one style needs a little guidance there is another to help. The visual/spatial member could essentially have an idea of how the task will evolve; the verbal/linguistic member could then explain the idea that the visual spatial member has so that the logical/mathematical member could remove any unnecessary information that did not need to be included. By using each other’s strengths the group will be able to complete a task collaboratively. To pull the team even closer it is important to know the personality type of the people in the group. The thinker of the group will be the problem solver. By keeping an open mind the thinker is able to take in what the others of the group are saying or feeling and reflect on it long enough to convert it using logic. Thinking outside of the box is a trait that will help the group go above and beyond the original expectations of the task. If some of the group members are having trouble grasping a concept the thinker can come up with a different approach. The organizer does just that; organize the group. This person will possess characteristics that others will gravitate to because the organizer is stable. They are reliable and stable. Close attention to detail makes this person a great asset to the group. The organizer will also keep the group on track as far as deadlines are concerned. Every group needs a giver. The giver is the glue for the group because this person understands how to help others without making them feel inferior. When there are issues of personal conflict within the group the giver is often the mediator or problem resolver. The giver is also able to teach others because their explanation skills are clear and concise. To have a group that is able to work together it is important to use the learning styles and personality types of each member so that their strengths can be utilized and the team can succeed in their endeavors together. When each member is aware of their own learning styles and personality type it is easier for that individual to express where their niche is and how to help the group the most. Reference: Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits, S. L. (2007). Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker (2nd ed.). : Pearson Printice Hall.