Using Process Communication in Team Coaching

If you want them to understand what you are saying, speak their language
Using Process Communication® in Team Coaching
David Monro-Jones MA, AFC, AMM, CPTC

The scene is set:
So here you are. After weeks of meetings, planning, contracting, deployment, follow-up phone calls and a few challenges along the way, you have all the information in front of you to design the team’s debrief session. It’s not the structure that is on your mind. What you are asking yourself is how you are going to engage with 15 diverse individuals? What are you going to do to gain and maintain their interest and enthusiasm to embrace the results of the Team Diagnostic Assessment? How will you keep them motivated? How will you recognise their different needs? What are you going to do to reach them at a deep and meaningful level, to truly communicate with them?

Fortunately, the Process Communication Model (PCM)© can provide some answers.

What is PCM?
PCM is a powerful communication model and innovative tool which enables you to understand, motivate, and communicate more effectively with others. The model was developed by Dr. Taibi Kahler, a clinical psychologist, who discovered how to identify and respond appropriately to patterns of productive behaviour (successful communication) and non-productive behaviour (miscommunication) second by second. In 1978 NASA took advantage of this discovery by using PCM in the selection, placement and training of astronauts.

Process Communication is useful for discovering and understanding our own personality as well as those of the people we interact with. Dr. Kahler identified six different personality types based on the individuals’ perceptions of the world; how they take in and process information (thoughts, emotions, opinions, reflections, actions, reactions). He found that, as each individual prefers to communicate and is motivated differently depending upon their personality type, it is important to speak the ‘language’ that their personality prefers.

Interlude one:
Before we go any further, it is important to understand why this is significant for team coaches. Principally, when preparing for a debrief session or an on-going coaching session, being able to use the correct language will yield greater results because you will reach your audience. To communicate effectively with others you have to adapt your communication style to theirs. How we say things is as, if not more, important than what we say.

The six personality types:
According to PCM research, everyone develops a predominant personality type, the base, early in life and that does not change. We also have the structural characteristics of all the other five personality types (the order of the arrangement of the other personality types in a structure is determined by environmental factors). A representation for this is a six storey building (often referred to as a condominium, especially within the USA. I often refer to a department store) with each floor representing a personality type, the base being the ground floor.

Because each person has parts of all six personality types in their personality structure, everyone has the potential to speak the language of all six types. These languages are based on how each personality type takes in and processes information. Each person speaks one or two of these languages fluently, but is not articulate in the others because some parts of an individual’s personality tend to be better developed than other parts. It takes more energy for an individual to gain access to those parts – to speak the language that is preferred by the personality types – that are not well developed in that person. However, to communicate effectively we must be on the floor that the other person will best hear.

PCM talks about types in personality rather than types of personality. No personality type or structure is better or worse than another. Everyone is OK. Each of us simply has a primary perception or preference as to how we should say the content of what we are saying, as well as a preference for how we want to hear.

• Thinker: Their primary perception is through thoughts and they value facts. The way they view the world is by identifying and categorising people and things. They prize data and information, using logic as their currency.

• Persister: Their primary perception is opinions and they value trust. The way they view the world is by evaluating people and situations through a belief system. They prize loyalty and commitment, using values as their currency.

• Harmoniser: Their primary perception is emotions and they value relationships. The way they view the world is by feeling about people and situations. They prize family and friendship, using compassion as their currency.

• Imaginer: Their primary perception is inactions and they value direction. The way they view the world is by reflecting on what is happening. They prize privacy and their own space, using imagination as their currency.

• Rebel: Their primary perception is reactions and they value fun. The way they view the world is by reacting to people and situations with likes and dislikes. They prize spontaneity and creativity, using humour as their currency.

• Promoter: Their primary perception is actions and they value initiative. The way they view the world is by experiencing situations and making things happen. They prize adaptability and self-sufficiency, using charm as their currency.

Being on the same wavelength:
The language associated with each perception is very distinctive. By listening for these verbal clues, TCI team coaches can determine which language they should use with which individual/personality type.

• Thinkers use expressions and words such as ‘I think’, ‘what options…’, ‘facts’, ‘information’, ‘does that mean…’ Listen for references to data, information, fairness, categories, order and agendas.
To communicate effectively, ask questions, speak logic and get straight to the point. Give them all the information they require and avoid making generalisations.

• Persisters use expressions and words such as ‘in my opinion’, ‘I believe…’, ‘values’, ‘commitment’, ‘trust’, ‘we should…’ Listen for references values, commitment, trust, mission, morals and concepts of right and wrong.
To communicate effectively, listen to them and ask for their opinions, beliefs and/or values that underpin a strategy. Reflect their point back to them to show that you have been listening and that they are understood.

• Harmonisers use expressions and words such as ‘I feel’, ‘I’m comfortable with…’, ‘I care…’, ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘in my heart…’ Listen for references to family, friends, compassion, harmony and caring.
To communicate effectively, show genuine and authentic interest in them (as a person), warmly helping them to look for solutions to help them progress. Show understanding and encouragement if/when the encounter difficulties.

• Imaginers use expressions and words such as ‘I need time to reflect’, ‘wait for more direction’, ‘own space’, ‘let’s not make waves’. Listen for references to needing time to consider situations, the need for privacy or not wanting to be seen as aggressive or upsetting people.
To communicate effectively, respect their need for a calm work pace with clear, brief directions. Indicate exactly what is expected of them and accept their need to have plenty of time alone.

• Rebels use expressions and words such as ‘wow’, ‘I like’, ‘I don’t like [hate]’, ‘this is the pits’, ‘[fun or slang phrases]’. Listen for references that indicate likes and dislikes.
To communicate effectively, joke and make things less dramatic which are useful for addressing delicate subjects. Encourage expression, application of new ideas and accept their distaste of anything relating to convention.

• Promoters use expressions and words such as ‘bottom line’, ‘make it happen’, ‘go for it’, ‘enough talk’, ‘just do it!’ Listen for references to initiative, immediacy, action and the end justifying the means.
To communicate effectively, be firm and stimulate them with challenges, while accepting their need to let you know about their successes and achievements (do not define this as boastful). Be flexible, yet still in control and recognise their dislike of rigorous organisation and systematic reporting (including long meetings).

Interlude two:
A frequent warning to people new to PCM is to avoid considering personality type as a definitive description of a person. Process Communication ethics favour benevolence and the avoidance of giving labels to others, which would have the opposite effect.

The scene is (re) set. Act II:
Everything that you have already done is fine, because the information is both valid and reliable. The additional step is to consider the personalities of the team that you will be working with. If you have already met them, you may have some sense of this. If not, you may be entering a room full of one dominant personality type or a mixture. Either way, to be most effective as a coach you must reach all of them.

There are really three things to consider.

1) As a coach (or whichever hat you are wearing, facilitator, trainer, consultant) you need to consider how to run a session (whatever that may be) using the language of the participants. What is important to recognise is that your dominant personality type will usually steer you in a specific direction. For example, if your preference is for data and information, it is likely that you will prepare or run a session using this format, because that is what you relate to. However, if the team has a lot of people who have a primary perception for action and initiative (Promoter), they will dislike this with a passion.
Paul Ware identified three modes of communication which he termed ‘Doors to Therapy’ which we can call ‘doors to communication’. These fall into three categories.

o Open Door: the mode of communication that people use to make contact with others
o Target Door: the mode of communication that they respond to well, leading to deeper and more meaningful contact
o Trapdoor: this mode of communication has the tendency to close people down as it indicates areas for their personal development

Understanding the preferences of others and using the Process Communication Model enables us to avoid the trap door in our interactions. So, when preparing for a session, consider how you can present the information and conduct the exercises (or ongoing training, coaching etc.) in such a way as to really communicate (connect) with everyone.

2) Getting the team to understand how they communicate with each other can yield additional benefits. PCM not only enables each team member to understand others, it also enables them to understand themselves too. They can consider this when running/attending meetings, preparing information, facilitating events, negotiating and everything else that involves communicating with others. It is also possible to generate a team PCM profile to show everyone where the preferences of the team are strongest and where they require more energy.

3) PCM, as well as other factors from the TDA can help the team to understand how they can improve their communication with other teams, departments and stakeholders both internally and externally to the organisation. This is very useful because it adds another dimension by expanding ‘what do they need to know?’ into ‘and how are we going to present it?’ Process Communication covers both spoken and written communication, so it has far reaching implications and applications.

The tip of the iceberg:
What I have covered here is really just the tip of the iceberg. Process Communication is a very detailed and deep topic with much more to communicating than just understanding perceptions, although that is a good start. Using PCM effectively we can recognise the Channels of communication, people’s Psychological Needs (motivations), their Distress Sequences, Driver Behaviour, Management Style, preferred Environments and Interaction Styles as well as much more. This additional knowledge enables us to really communicate and speak their language.

Next steps (should you wish):
If you are interested in learning more about PCM, then there are a number of options available to you.

• As a Certified Process Communication Trainer I am happy to be contacted to discuss anything that you would like to know about PCM, how I use it in my coaching, consultancy and development work and who to contact in your country should you wish to pursue this further – david.m-j@outlook.com or find me on LinkedIn – https://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidmonrojones
• You can complete a Personality Pattern Inventory (PPI) which will help you to identify your own personality condominium

• Attend a PCM seminar/training programme. These run in various countries and range in length from a one day introduction to a comprehensive Certified Process Communication Trainer programme

• There are a number of books which are well worth reading. Here is a small selection of those in English. Others are available in different languages:

o Parlez-vous Personality, Process Communication for Coaches, (2012), ISBN 978-2-7466-4016-0
o Here’s How To Reach Me, (2008), 4th edition, ISBN 978-1-55766-566-9
o Discover Process Communication, (2007), No ISBN
o The Mastery of Management, (2006), 6th edition, ISBN 0-9701185-2-X
o The Process Therapy Model, (2008), ISBN 0-9816565-0-1

And finally (my personal hobby-horse):
A final few words of caution. As with all assessments, theories, practices and processes; be an expert. When dealing with people we, as professional coaches and consultants, cannot ethically or morally be amateurish in our approach to helping people develop. A little bit of data never goes a long way. So, whether we are debriefing a TDA, TLV, running a coaching session for the team or an individual, feeding back to a client or anything else relating to people or our profession, let’s get it right from the start. Though we are not doctors, Primum non nocere (First, do no harm) should still influence our code of conduct.