Lecture 6 personal communication style(1)

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Communicational StylesPeople in Organisations

LB5205 People in Organisations

Learning Objectives

• Critically assess your own communication style and its impact in various situations.

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• Communication styles are patterns of behavior that others can observe

• Understanding your style….– achieve greater self-awareness– develop more effective interpersonal relations– greater sensitivity to and tolerance for others’

styles– essential for managing key relationships

• self • others • member of a group

Communication Styles


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• Individual differences exist and are important– i.e., gestures, assertiveness, expression– each person has unique style– identify by careful observation

• Differences tend to be stable– Jung’s Psychological Types– born with disposition that is exercised and

developed over least preferred preferences

Fundamental Concepts


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• Four basic styles– Intuitor, thinker, feeler, and sensor

• Style is a way of thinking and behaving– not an ability– a preferred way of doing things

• Productive relationships are developed by being in sync with others – Important advantage when understanding others

Fundamental Concepts


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• A common form of prejudice• More likely when styles differ• What can you do?

– Develop an awareness of your own style– Learn to assess the style of others– Learn to adapt your own style to theirs– “Speaking the other person’s language” is essential for

relationship skills– Adapting is style flexing

Communication Style Bias


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Everyone has had the experience of saying or doing something that was perfectly acceptable to a friend or coworker and then being surprised when the same behavior irritated someone else.

David W. Merrill and Roger H. ReidPersonal Styles and Effective Performance

Total Person Insight


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• Two important dimensions of style:1. Dominance2. Sociability

• Dominance– The tendency to display a “take-charge” attitude– an important dimension in interpersonal relationships

• Everyone falls somewhere on the dominance continuum

Communicational Style Bias


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Low dominance High dominance

• more cooperative • give advice freely

• eager to assist others • initiate demands• less assertive • more assertive• more willingly controlled • seek control

The Dominance Continuum


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• Sociability is a tendency to seek and enjoy social relationships– measures if you control or express feelings

• Determining your preferred style– Identify yourself on the sociability continuum– Ask four or five people who know you well to identify

you on the continua

The Sociability Continuum


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Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © 2004. Adapted by permission of Prentice-HallInc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

• expresses feelings• open and talkative• enjoys personal associations• controls feelings• more reserved and formal in relationships

Sociability Continuum


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When the dominance and sociabilitydimensions are combined, the framework

for communication style classification is established.

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• The model represents four communication styles:– emotive - director– reflective - supportive

• Two factors:– dominance - sociability

• Model will help identify your most preferred style

Communication Styles Model


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• Displays spontaneous, uninhibited behavior

• Displays the personality dimension described as extroversion

• Possesses a natural persuasiveness

Emotive StyleHigh Sociability/High Dominance


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• Projects a serious attitude• Expresses strong opinions• May project indifference

Director StyleHigh Dominance/Low Sociability


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• Expresses opinions in a formal, deliberate manner

• Seems preoccupied• Prefers orderliness

Reflective StyleLow Dominance/Low Sociability


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• Listens attentively• Avoids the use of power• Makes and expresses decisions in a

thoughtful, deliberate manner

Supportive StyleLow Dominance/High Sociability


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Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © 2004. Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Communication Style Intensity Zones


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• Zone I – Display behaviors with less intensity – May be difficult to identify the style – Not be as obvious in their gestures, tone of

voice, speech patterns, or emotional expressions

• Zone 2 – Display behaviors with greater intensity– Can sometimes observe behavior change when

upset or angry

Variation Within Your Communication Style


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• Excess Zone – Characterized by intensity and rigidity– Can also be labeled the "danger" zone– Often inflexible and lacks versatility

• Extreme intensity in any quadrant can interfere with good human relations

• People may move into the excess zone when stressed, threatened, or insecure

Variation Within Communication Styles Model


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Behaviours Displayed in the Excess Zone


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• Focus on observable behavior– The best clues are nonverbal:

• Gestures, posture, facial expressions, and speech patterns

• Determine where the person falls on the sociability and dominance continuums– This is a process, do not rush to identify– Different situations will bring out different behaviors

Tips on Style Identification


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The best way to break a habit is to establish another habit. For example, if you’re a constant talker, stop talking. Work at it.

Kimberly Alyn and Bob PhillipsAuthors, Annoying People

Total Person Insight


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• Versatility means acting in ways that gain a social endorsement– Makes others feel comfortable – Is independent of style

• Style flexing – Deliberate attempt to change or alter style to meet the

needs of another person– Temporary effort to act in harmony with other

communication styles

Versatility: The Third Dimension


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• Take time to build a social as well as a business relationship

• Display interest in a person’s ideas, interests, and experiences

• Do not place too much emphasis on details

• Maintain a fast and spontaneous pace

Flexing to an Emotive Style


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• Be specific, brief, and to the point• Present the facts logically and be prepared

to provide specific answers• Maintain fast and decisive pace• Project strength and confidence• Messages should be short and to the point

Flexing to a Director Style


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• Be well organized• Be straightforward and direct• Be accurate and realistic when

presenting information• Messages should be detailed and precise• Speak slowly and systematically

Flexing to a Reflective Style


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• Show a sincere interest• Identify areas of common interests• Draw out other’s personal goals and

views• Listen and be responsive• Do not be pushy• Put priority on relationship building

Flexing to a Supportive Style


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• If sincere and honest, style flexing can:– help build constructive relationships– be a valuable, productive strategy– be especially critical when something important is at stake

• Do not label others– classify strengths and preferences, not people

• Do not let your own label become rigid

Style Flexing: Ptifalls and Possibilities


Lecture 6 personal communication style(1)

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