1. Understanding Your Communication Style
Chapter Three
Understanding Your Communication Style

2. Chapter Preview: Understanding Your Communication Style
Style bias and its effect on interpersonal relations
Benefits of understanding communication styles
Elements of communication style model
Identifying preferred style
Style flexing

3. Communication Style
Communication style—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

4. Fundamental Concepts 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

5. Fundamental Concepts Four basic styles
Intuitor, thinker, feeler, and sensor
Similar characteristics within style
Style is a way of thinking and behaving
Not an ability
Is a preferred way of using abilities or style

6. Fundamental Concepts
Productive relationships are developed by being in sync with others
Important advantage when understanding others’
Adapting is style flexing

7. Communication Style Bias
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

8. Total Person Insight
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. Reid
Personal Styles and Effective Performance

9. Communication Style Model
Two important dimensions of style:
Dominance
Sociability
The tendency to display a “take-charge” attitude
an important dimension in interpersonal relationships
Everyone falls somewhere on the dominance continuum

10. The Dominance Continuum
• more cooperative • give advice freely
• eager to assist others • initiate demands
• less assertive • more assertive
• more willingly controlled • seek control
Figure 3.1 Dominance Continuum

11. Determining Your Preferred Style
Identify yourself on the dominance continuum
Ask four or five people who know you well to identify you on the continuum
No best place to be
Successful people can be found on all points
Both ends are necessary and important at times

12. Figure 3.2 Dominance Indicator Form

13. Figure 3.2 Dominance Indicator Form (continued)

14. Figure 3.2 Dominance Indicator Form (continued)

15. Flexibility Is Important
Low on dominance
more assertive temporarily to achieve an objective
learn to be responsive without giving up convictions
High on dominance
curb strong opinions and limit demands to establish cooperative relationships

16. The Sociability Continuum
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 dominance continuum
Identify yourself on the sociability continuum
Ask four or five people who know you well to identify you on the continua

17. Figure 3.3 - Sociability Continuum
• expresses feelings
• open and talkative
• enjoys personal associations
• controls feelings
• more reserved and formal in relationships
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © Adapted by permission of Prentice-HallInc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

18. Figure 3.4 - Sociability Indicator Form

19. Figure 3.4 - Sociability Indicator Form (continued)

20. Figure 3.4 - Sociability Indicator Form (continued)
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ

21. Where Should You Be? No best place to be
Successful people are everywhere along the sociability continuum
Flexibility is important
Low sociability
may need to be more expressive to avoid perception of indifference or unconcerned
High sociability
may need to curb exuberance if more formal environment is required

22. Communication Styles Model
The model represents four communication styles:
emotive director
reflective supportive
Two factors:
dominance sociability
Model will help identify your most preferred style

23. Figure When the dominance and sociability dimensions are combined, the framework for communication style classification is established.
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

24. Figure 3.6 - The emotive style combines high sociability and high dominance.
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

25. Emotive Style
Displays spontaneous, uninhibited behavior
Displays the personality dimension described as extroversion
Possesses a natural persuasiveness

26. Figure 3.7 - The director style combines high dominance and low sociability.
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

27. Projects a serious attitude Expresses strong opinions
Director Style
Projects a serious attitude
Expresses strong opinions
May project indifference

28. Figure 3.8 - The reflective style combines low dominance and low sociability.
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

29. Expresses opinions in a formal, deliberate manner Seems preoccupied
Reflective Style
Expresses opinions in a formal, deliberate manner
Seems preoccupied
Prefers orderliness

30. Figure 3.9 - The supportive style combines low dominance and high sociability.
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

31. Makes and expresses decisions in a thoughtful, deliberate manner
Supportive Style
Listens attentively
Avoids the use of power
Makes and expresses decisions in a thoughtful, deliberate manner

32. Identify Yourself? Nobody conforms completely to one style
Only one dimension of a personality
Only deals with behaviors that others can observe
May be able to identify the style least like yourself

33. Variation Within Your Communication Style
Preferred styles vary in intensity
Zones radiate outward from the center
These dimensions are intensity zones
Boundary between zones are not a permanent barrier
People use "style flexing"

34. Figure 3.10 - Communication Style Intensity Zones
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value, Ninth Edition, Copyright © Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

35. Variation Within Your Communication Style
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

36. Variation Within Your Communication Style
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

37. Table 3.1 - Behaviors Displayed in the Excess Zone

38. Tips on Style Identification of Others
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

39. Versatility: The Third Dimension
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

40. Total Person Insight
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 Phillips
Authors, Annoying People

41. Strategies for Adapting Your Style
Identify the style of the other person
Think of ways to flex your style to gain a social endorsement
Several style adaptation strategies

42. Flexing to an Emotive Style
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

43. Flexing to a Director Style
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

44. Flexing to a Reflective Style
Be well organized
Be straightforward and direct
Be accurate and realistic when presenting information
Messages should be detailed and precise
Speak slowly and systematically

45. Flexing to a Supportive Style
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

46. Style Flexing: Pitfalls and Possibilities
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

47. Strength/Weakness Paradox
There is no best communication style
each has unique strong points
People have problems when they overextend the strengths of their style
Customizing your style can require learning to overcome your strengths

48. Chapter Review Style bias and its effect on interpersonal relations
Communication styles are patterns of behaviors that are observable to others
Way of responding to people and events
Bias is likely to surface when someone's style is distinctly different from your own

49. Chapter Review Benefits of understanding communication styles
Knowing your style will help you achieve greater self-awareness and develop more effective interpersonal relations with others
Accurate self-knowledge is the starting point for effectiveness at work

50. Chapter Review Summary
The communication style model is formed by two dimensions dominance and sociability
Four communication Styles
Emotive
Director
Reflective
Supportive

51. Chapter Review Summary
Identifying your preferred style
Rate yourself on each scale (dominance and sociability)
Ask others to complete these forms for you
Style flexing
A third dimension—versatility
You can adjust your own style to others
Keep an open mind about others
Don’t typecast or judge