Imagine that you are a medical and health information manager. Your supervisor generally prefers receiving email or instant messages rather than having face-to-face meetings or talking on the phone. Watch the Interpersonal Communication Skills video to gain real-world insight about communicating in the health care field.
What are your communication preferences? Do you think it’s important that your communication preferences match your supervisor’s communication preferences? Why or why not?
Regardless of personal preferences, what are 2 situations where you think it would be better to request a meeting or make a telephone call to discuss an issue rather than send an email or instant message? What are 2 situations where you think an email or instant message would be better? Provide rationale.
Full Answer Section
Situations for Meetings or Calls:
-
Urgent Issues: Urgent matters requiring immediate decisions or problem-solving benefit from the immediacy of a phone call or meeting. The interactive nature allows for swift clarification, joint action planning, and mitigating potential escalations.
-
Sensitive Topics: Discussing sensitive personnel issues, performance feedback, or potentially controversial matters is best handled in a face-to-face setting. This fosters empathy, facilitates nuanced communication, and minimizes misunderstandings that could occur in text-based communication.
Situations for Email or Instant Messaging:
-
Non-Urgent Information Sharing: Routine updates, data reports, or procedural clarification can be effectively communicated via email or instant messaging. This provides asynchronous access to information, eliminates scheduling complexities, and allows recipients to review the message at their convenience.
-
Quick Questions or Brief Updates: Short inquiries, minor clarifications, or brief progress updates can be efficiently handled through email or instant messaging. This avoids unnecessary interruptions and keeps both parties focused on their primary tasks.
Finding the Middle Ground:
Ultimately, the key lies in flexible communication and mutual understanding. Openly discussing preferred communication styles with my supervisor can establish clear expectations and ensure smooth information flow. By adapting my approach based on the situation's urgency, sensitivity, and complexity, I can build a strong working relationship and ensure that efficient communication remains the cornerstone of our professional collaboration.
Remember, effective communication is a two-way street. While respecting my own communication preferences is important, actively tailoring my approach to my supervisor's style strengthens our team dynamic and ultimately contributes to a more productive and harmonious working environment.
Sample Answer
Aligning Communication Styles: A Balancing Act
While my preferred communication style might not perfectly mirror my supervisor's, finding a healthy balance is crucial for effective collaboration and information exchange.
My Communication Preferences:
While I appreciate the convenience of email and instant messaging for certain situations, I also value the clarity and nuance of face-to-face communication or phone calls. These enable richer discussions, immediate feedback loops, and better reading of non-verbal cues, particularly when dealing with complex or sensitive topics.
Why Matching vs. Diverging Preferences:
Matching communication styles can promote efficiency and understanding. If my supervisor prefers email, sending concise, well-organized messages facilitates quick information delivery and avoids scheduling hassles. However, complete alignment isn't always necessary. Certain issues benefit from real-time interaction, allowing for rapid brainstorming, resolution of misunderstandings, and building stronger rapport.