This past week at an Executive Coaching conference in New York City I met the person at NASA who heads leadership development for rocket scientists. She told me, “The people side of our work is more complex than the technical side of our work. We are all systems engineers. The systems we work in are human systems, which are infinitely more complex than anything else we do.” This means that understanding human interaction is more difficult than being a rocket scientist!

“People reading” is the phrase I use to understand human behavior and motivators. What causes a person to do what he or she does, what is predicable and how can we be more effective in communicating with all people? Understanding Workplace Motivators and Preferred Communication Styles is the first step in people reading. In Conversations for Change you will find that chapters 2 & 3 overview Workplace Motivators and Communication Styles. But reading the chapters alone are only the first step.

People reading takes practice. If you want to be really good at identifying another person’s motivators and communication style, focus on people reading someone new every day for the next 60 – 90 days. Ask yourself, “Is this person being more task focused or people focused? Does the person prefer a faster pace and quick decision-making or a more methodical approach and at least three days to make a significant decision? The answers to these questions will help you identify their communication style preferences. What causes the person you are people reading to feel passionate or engaged? The answer will point you to their motivators.

People reading is one of the most interesting and entertaining things you can do because we are all different however once you learn what to look for and how to connect with others in meaningful ways based on their motivators and style you will feel confident to talk with anyone – even a rocket scientist!