Continued Counseling Phone: 866-970-4840


What are the four fundamental communication styles?

Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP

April 1, 2024

Share:

Question

What are the four fundamental communication styles?

Answer

The first communication style is the intuitive communicator. Intuitive communicators tend to be unemotional and freeform in their approach. They don't invest much emotion in their communication. When interacting with intuitive communicators, you might not initially perceive them as warm, fuzzy, or very friendly. They focus on bottom-line communication, efficiently getting to the point, and avoiding wasting time.

When engaging with an intuitive communicator, it is essential to pick up on the cues and clues they provide. If you are not an intuitive communicator yourself, be mindful of their preference for directness and avoid going into great detail unless necessary. They prefer receiving the essential information without delving into background details or the events leading up to it. Their communication style revolves around efficiency, seeking concise and quick responses, with no time wasted on unnecessary elaboration.

The next broad group is the analytical communicator. Similar to the intuitive communicator, they are also unemotional, but their style is more linear in nature. Analytical communicators value confident communication that demonstrates expertise, particularly in presenting hard facts and numbers.

In contrast to intuitive communicators, analytical individuals place greater emphasis on receiving concise information without unnecessary fluff. However, when approaching analytical communicators with information, they expect it to be well-supported by hard facts and expertise. They don't seek an abundance of details, but they do want the information to be precise and well-founded.  They seek concrete facts and figures, which sets them apart from intuitive communicators. Both groups value brevity, but analytical communicators specifically want you to demonstrate why you believe the information you're sharing is accurate.

Next are functional communicators. Functional communicators can be very emotional, expressing a strong attachment to the information they are discussing. They bring not only the facts but also an emotional investment in the topic. They prefer having control of the communication process.

When engaging with functional communicators, providing process-oriented and linear communication is essential. Present information in a sequential manner, starting from the beginning and progressing logically to the middle and finally concluding firmly and concisely at the end. They prefer a structured and well-organized flow of information and might not appreciate jumping around from topic to topic.

In conversations, functional communicators may be highly emotive, using gestures and expressions to convey their thoughts and ideas. They might present their ideas dramatically and passionately, emphasizing the significance of the subject matter to them. Their emotional investment influences their perspective and the way they engage in conversations.

The final type of communicator is the personal communicator. This individual combines emotional and freeform characteristics, valuing interpersonal relationships in their communication.  Personal communicators prefer using informal and friendly language to engage others. They are genuinely interested in knowing more about the people they interact with. If you work with a personal communicator, you might find them asking about your well-being before delving into the main topic. They take a genuine interest in how you are doing and how you feel about various aspects of your life. In the office setting, personal communicators are often the ones who express genuine concern for others' feelings and emotions.

These four communication styles are powerful because they provide an opportunity to reflect on past communication events that may not have gone well. By understanding these styles, you can gain insight into why certain interactions fell apart.

This Ask the Expert is an excerpt from the course, Understanding Communication Styles on Diverse Teams, presented by Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP.


marva mount

Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP

Marva Mount, M. A., CCC-SLP has worked in a variety of settings in her 37-year
career, with school-based services being her most enjoyed work setting. She is drawn to supporting and serving children who have the greatest need for services and the highest likelihood of educational success with intervention. Currently, she is the Related Services
Director for Imagine Learning. Marva has presented at the state, national, and
international levels on a variety of school-based issues. She is a chapter
author/contributor to the Sixth Edition of Professional Issues in Speech-Language
Pathology and Audiology (publish date 11/23) as well as a contributing author to
ASHA Special Interest Group 11 and 16 (Supervision and School-based Issues)
Perspectives. At the 2018 Texas Speech and Hearing Convention, she was awarded the TSHA Hall of Fame Award for outstanding contributions to the profession. In 2022, Marva was inducted as a Distinguished Fellow into the National Academies of Practice, Speech-Language Pathology Academy.


Related Courses

How to Diffuse Difficult Conversations
Presented by Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP
Video

Presenter

Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP
Course: #1040Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'There were lots of practical tips and advice that will be very helpful when having hard conversations with clients and colleagues'   Read Reviews
At times, communication can cause bumps in the road in any setting, especially when working on diverse and/or interdisciplinary teams. This course explores how to diffuse difficult conversations when there are many standpoints present and what to do to turn a difficult conversation into a positive experience. It will additionally explore how to repair a conversation when your intentions do not go as planned.

Understanding Communication Styles on Diverse Teams
Presented by Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP
Video

Presenter

Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP
Course: #1022Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'This was not the generic version of communication styles and was helpful'   Read Reviews
How often do you begin a conversation with a specific set of expectations and immediately realize that things are not going the way you expected? We deliver many messages within our chosen professions, to a variety of different communication partners. How do we prevent misunderstandings and damaged relationships? We will examine ways to match our current communication style in ways that are more aligned to our audience providing positive outcomes, regardless of the message we must deliver.

Using Emotional Intelligence as a Communication Compass
Presented by Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP
Video

Presenter

Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP
Course: #1023Level: Intermediate1 Hour
We all communicate daily in our work, with those we know and with those we do not know well. It is important always to remember that the intent of any message is not as important as the interpretation of the message we are giving. From that lens, we will explore what emotional intelligence (EQ) is, why it is important, and why, if we do not have a “high” EQ, we can find ourselves in difficult conversations with others, with no idea how to repair the damage.

Adapting Evidence-Based Practices for Transgender Patients: Current Literature, Ethical Considerations, and Future Directions
Presented by Giselle Levin, PsyD
Video

Presenter

Giselle Levin, PsyD
Course: #1835Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'Loved the comprehensive content'   Read Reviews
This course highlights the need for an increasing focus on evidence-based practices (EBPs) in psychological treatment, emphasizing their effectiveness and empirical basis. It also addresses the need to adapt EBPs for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients to ensure ethical and effective care, identifying adapted EBPs and their application to common issues faced by TGD individuals.

The Development of Infant Motor Skills: Current Research and Ethical Considerations
Presented by Julie Campbell, PhD
Video

Presenter

Julie Campbell, PhD
Course: #1583Level: Intermediate1 Hour
This course will introduce participants to concepts related to the development of fine and gross motor skills during infancy. Current research which illustrates the relation between cognitive skills such as language, and motor skills will be explored. Ethical concerns related to the process of conducting research with infants will be explained.

Our site uses cookies to improve your experience. By using our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.