The Sensor does not want to be bothered with social chit-chat or minute details. He or she wants to know just enough to make a decision and move on. When communicating with a Sensor, Dr. Keogh says it is important to use balance and, “skip the preliminaries, skip the details, include steps [to take action], and bring something to hand over [such as a chart or graph].”
2) The Feeler likes to be seen as popular among peer groups. He or she is a master at networking and wants to be involved and liked on many different levels. The Feeler will engage people in chit-chat and can be seen by others as disorganized or as someone who makes decisions based on gossip.
To communicate with the Feeler, Dr. Keogh says, “An approach that is too abrupt will be unsuccessful.” Starting with social conversation will engage this person from the start of a conversation. Making a lot of eye contact, appealing to passion, and dropping the names of others in the organization are all successful techniques to use when communicating with a Feeler.
3) The Thinker likes to gather and organize information. He or she loves systems and plans (charts and graphs really speak to a Thinker).The Thinker wants to be to be seen as perfect and has very high internal standards. He or she will be humiliated in the wake of a mistake but will never show it. The Thinker can be seen as overly critical of himself or herself as well as others and will often give unsolicited feedback.
To communicate with the Thinker, Dr. Keogh suggests being organized and prepared with a specific plan. Additionally, Dr. Keogh warns to not expect the Thinker to make a quick decision, as this person is more likely to prefer selecting from a number of choices in a methodical way.
Three Questions To Open the Door of Communication
According to Dr. Keogh, asking the following questions, either in person or via a quick, anonymous survey, will give you a wealth of knowledge about the current climate of your practice or department:
- What is good around here?
- Who do we need to recognize?
- What are some of the barriers we are encountering?
By asking these types of questions, physician leaders open the door of communication with their employees and gain a starting point for conversations about their practice, department, or institution.