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.
