The three questions I ask every new colleague
Understanding how people learn, teach, and organize their "personal backlog" is 🔑 to establishing good working relationships.
When I begin working with a new colleague, regardless of the work context and whether they are a direct report, a peer, a manager, or a collaborator of any sort that I’ll be working with for some amount of time, there are three questions I ask early in the “getting to know you” phase of our relationship:
What communication medium do you find that you use to best learn new information?
What communication medium do you find that you use to best share or teach information to others?
How do you organize your personal "backlog” or project & to do list(s)?
I have found that knowing the answers to these three questions — and using that knowledge to inform positive working interactions – helps keep things more focused and productive.
One important note: The medium from which someone best learns isn’t always the same medium as the one that they can best use to teach!
Here’s more detail on each question and the kinds of answers to look for. At the end, I’ll share my own answers to these questions:
1. What communication medium do you find that you use to best learn new information?
Understanding how your colleagues best absorb new information is crucial for effective collaboration. People generally fall into one of several learning styles:
Visual learners prefer diagrams, charts, and written instructions. They often benefit from seeing information presented in a graphical format or reading detailed explanations. When working with visual learners, consider using tools like mind maps, flowcharts, or written documentation to convey ideas. And yes, PowerPoint, Google Slides, and other kinds of “decks.”
(It’s a bit beyond the scope of this post, but I believe there is some deeper nuance when it comes to what I think of as “visual-graphical” and “visual-written”.)
Auditory learners thrive on verbal explanations and discussions. They often retain information better when it's presented through spoken words, lectures, or group conversations. For these colleagues, schedule face-to-face meetings or phone calls to discuss new concepts, and encourage them to ask questions or repeat information back to ensure understanding.
For these colleagues, “meetings that could have been an email” might not always be the case for them.
Kinesthetic or experiential learners prefer hands-on approaches. They learn best by doing, whether that's through physical manipulation of objects or practical application of concepts. When introducing new ideas to these colleagues, try to incorporate interactive elements, simulations, or real-world examples they can work through themselves.
By tailoring your communication style to match your colleague's preferred learning medium, you can significantly enhance their ability to grasp and retain new information, leading to more productive collaborations.
2. What communication medium do you find that you use to best share or teach information to others?
Just as people have preferred methods for learning, they also have preferred methods for sharing or teaching information. Understanding this preference can help you encourage your colleagues to communicate more effectively:
Verbal communicators excel at explaining concepts through speech. They may prefer giving presentations, leading discussions, or using analogies and stories to illustrate points. Encourage these colleagues to lead team meetings, give verbal updates, or record audio notes for the team.
Visual communicators often shine when using visual aids to convey information. They might prefer creating slideshows, infographics, or detailed written reports. Provide them with tools and opportunities to create visual content for team consumption, such as designing project dashboards or creating illustrated guides.
Demonstrative teachers prefer showing rather than telling. They excel at walking others through processes, providing live demonstrations, or creating tutorial videos. Encourage these colleagues to lead training sessions, create how-to guides, or record screencasts to share their knowledge.
By understanding and leveraging each team member's preferred teaching style, you can create a rich, diverse learning environment where everyone has the opportunity to contribute in their most effective way.
3. How do you organize your personal "backlog" or project & to do list?
Understanding how your colleagues manage their tasks and priorities is essential for smooth collaboration and project management. Different organizational styles can include:
Digital task managers: Some people prefer using apps like Trello, Asana, or Todoist to organize their tasks digitally. These tools often allow for easy prioritization, deadline setting, and progress tracking.
Personally, I am a fan of Remember the Milk, Omnifocus, and Motion. That said, I’m working in a deeper personal knowledge management space these days, using Obsidian and Logseq.
Physical planners or bullet journals: Others might prefer the tactile experience of writing tasks down in a notebook or planner. This method can be particularly effective for visual thinkers who like to see their entire schedule at a glance.
Email-based organization: Some individuals use their email inbox as a to-do list, flagging or starring important messages that require action.
Mind mapping: Visual thinkers might organize their tasks in a more free-form manner, using mind maps or other non-linear methods to connect related tasks and projects.
By understanding each team member's organizational style, you can better align on project management tools, set realistic deadlines, and ensure that important tasks don't fall through the cracks. It also allows you to communicate about tasks and priorities in a way that resonates with each individual's system. ⏬
What are my answers?
Learning
I am very much a visual and kinesthetic learner. I am a poor auditory learner.
In practice, this means that I like to look at diagrams and get hands on with whatever it is I’m learning whether it’s new tech or time-honored wood working skills. I need to visualize things in my head to understand them.
Conversely, as much as I love learning the information in podcasts, it’s a real challenge for me to follow along. Audiobooks are a struggle for me as well. I hear a litany of character names and if I can’t create mental images of them fast enough, for example if many characters are introduced at once, then I lose the story quickly.
Sharing & Teaching
Although it is hard for me to learn new things by hearing about them, I find it easy to talk through a topic if I have the visual representation for it built in my head already. In other words, when my thoughts are focused, I’m a strong auditory teacher.
This was an important thing for me to internalize — that the way I learn things isn’t necessarily the way I teach them.
I’m also a confident diagram-maker, which helps when it comes time to make decks, decks, and more decks.
Organizing my “Personal Backlog”
This is definitely a topic several future posts, but I use:
A notebook (different from my “journal”)
Email (only things that need action stay in my Inbox)
…but, it is critical that I keep a to do list, tagged and categorized with associated notes — these days I do that in Logseq
Summary
By asking these three key questions early in your working relationships, you set the stage for more effective communication and collaboration. Understanding how your colleagues best learn, teach, and organize their work allows you to tailor your interactions to their preferences and strengths.
This approach not only improves information retention and sharing but also demonstrates respect for individual working styles. As a result, you can create a more harmonious and productive work environment where team members feel understood and valued.
The goal is not to change anyone's style, but to adapt and find common ground that allows everyone to work at their best. By fostering this kind of understanding, you'll be well on your way to building stronger, more effective professional relationships. ⏬