Identify your
communication style
All problems
in organizations are due to lack of communication or improper communication.
People have different styles of communication. You have to choose the right
style in particular situation. However people do not tune their style as per
the situation. To ensure we communicate effectively each time we speak, we must
understand our own communication style and preferences.
There
are four styles of communication normally people chose while communicating. Dr.
Carl Jung, a famous & noted psychologist has described a unique model on
this as per the figure 1.
Spirited (Expresser): Spirited
communicators get excited easily and tend to ask “Who?” They dislike boring explanations
and react by “selling” ideas or becoming argumentative. They like to be applauded
and recognized and prefer to save on effort and rely heavily on hunches and
intuition. For best results, they should be inspired to aim for bigger and
better accomplishments.
Considerate (Relater): Considerate
communicators like positive attention, to be helpful and to be regarded warmly.
Tend to ask “Why?” They dislike rejection, uncaring and unfeeling attitudes and
reacts by becoming silent, withdrawn and introspective. They love to be with
friends and nurture close relationships. For best results, they must be allowed
to care and provide detail; be provided specific plans and activities to be
accomplished.
Systematic (Analytical): Systematic
communicators seek a lot of data and ask many questions. They tend to ask “How?”
They dislike making an error and being unprepared and react by seeking more
information. They love to be measured by activity and busyness. In this regard,
they aim to save face; they hate to make an error or be wrong. For best
results, they should be given a structured framework and be provided time to
make decisions at their own pace.
Direct (Driver): Direct communicators
like to have their own way; they are usually decisive and have their own viewpoints.
They tend to ask “What?” They dislike someone wasting their time by trying to
decide for them and react by attempting to take more control of the situation.
They love to be measured by results and are goal-oriented, save time, and be
efficient. For best results, they should be allowed freedom to do things their
own way.
Each
style has its strengths and weakness.
Please
refer figure 2 for strengths and figure 3 for weaknesses
You
can identify your dominant style based on above descriptions. However you can’t
use your style in all situations. You have to be flexible to be effective
communicator.
How to deal with these different style of
people?
Recognizing
another’s style allows us to make adjustments in our own behavior to
accommodate that person’s style. This, in turn, makes that person feel more at ease
and helps us to achieve our goals more readily. It takes some willingness and
effort to expand beyond one’s own style to interact with others. It is
generally appreciated, however, and may make the difference between success and
failure in an interaction.
Please
refer figure 4 for this.
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