By: J. Mason
Online Career Tips Staff

Working with others is a necessary evil, even if you are a freelancer, so learning how others think and take in information is especially important. To keep things flowing smoothly, and to keep your sanity, get familiar with how your colleagues think.

[related: OMG! It's Time to Communicate Better]

It may seem strange, but take notes on their actions. Do you notice that they like to scribble notes on the white board during meetings? Or, do they like to talk everything out with a large group of people for better understanding? When you have an assignment that needs editing to they give you feedback via email, or through marking up the document on paper? On the flip side, if their way of relaying information to you isn’t work you should speak up.

If you’re a strict stick to the facts type of worker then let them know. Overly drawn out explanations can draw interest away from the project or topic at hand, so just be up front about what you’re looking for.

You can also check for context clues in their cube. Do they have a lot of sticky notes taped all over the place? Do the notes have written out sentences, or just words and doodles? This could be a clue of their need for visual presentation, or simply explaning things in person as opposed to email.

If all else fails ask the person what works for them!