Effective communication is a skill that is often undervalued in the workplace. We have years of training and multiple degrees to learn our trade, but how much time along the way has been directed at learning to deal effectively with others? Typically, we focus all our energy on learning concrete design techniques (pun intended), but how do we develop our soft skills, in order to promote ourselves and our careers and be productive members of a team? How do we relate to others in an increasingly diverse workplace environment, and learn to thrive with others who may have a different personality type?

In the August 2016 session of SE University, Annie Kao, PE, with Simpson Strong-Tie, gave a presentation on Effective Communication Skills for Workplace Conversations and Meetings. One of the main topics that Annie discussed was the benefit of cultivating a reward-state environment as opposed to a threat-state environment in our workplace.

When employees feel they are in a reward-state, they are able to work more effectively, both independently and as part of a team. Annie provided a useful tool to assess which values create a reward-state, and how we can use this information to be more intentional in the way we relate to our coworkers. The online SCARF Assessment looks at five domains that each of us finds more or less valuable depending on our personality

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read the full article and access these useful tools on our SE University blog.