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Whether it's your first day or your tenth anniversary on the job, communicating effectively with the people you work with is always crucial. The problem is that each person has a unique way of expressing him or herself, and figuring a person out can seem as difficult as mastering a foreign language. Fortunately, everyone from Hippocrates to Jung has worked to classify people based on their personalities and modes of self-expression. Below are the four communication styles commonly recognized among today's psychologists and business consultants, along with some tips on how to work successfully with each group. The Relater• Relaters are considerate
and sympathetic. They are focused on people and interpersonal
relationships.
• Relaters are wonderful
team players, since they are cooperative and easy
to work with.
• Relaters are great listeners
and are always willing to help others. However, their
desire to keep everyone happy may sometimes interfere
with getting the job done.
• Relaters dislike conflict,
and will try to mollify the people involved and smooth
over the issues.
• Change can upset relationships
as well as work routine. Relaters can become upset
by this, and so need awhile to adjust to change. How to communicate with a Relater: • Spend the time needed
to establish rapport. Feel free to share personal
experiences or common interests.
• Avoid being aggressive
or pushy.
• When discussing issues,
focus on how the changes may affect the interrelationships
among the staff.
• If you are the boss,
make sure that the Relaters on your staff are not
overburdened or distracted by other people's problems. The Socializer• Socializers are expressive
and spirited. They value relationships, acceptance,
and personal prestige.
• These people are animated
and expressive. They'll often speak quickly, use
gestures, and may get easily sidetracked onto another
story altogether.
• Socializers are great
motivators because of their enthusiasm.
• Socializers usually focus
on the bigger picture, and may sometimes neglect
the details or the order of things. Socializers are
easily bored by routine, and work best in a group
setting.
• Socializers often make
decisions based on intuition.
• Socializers are not afraid
of conflict, and enjoy spirited discussions that
involve a difference of opinion.
• Socializers love change
and challenges. How to communicate with a Socializer: • Be willing to keep up
with their breakneck conversational pace, and be
patient with digressions.
• Focus on concepts and
trends, and on what they might mean for the future.
• If you're the boss, give
the Socializers on your team tasks that require innovation,
and invite them to all the office parties. If you've
assigned independent or repetitive work to a Socializer,
keep a closer eye on her/him. The Thinker• Thinkers are technical
and systematic. They value logic, thoroughness, and
precision.
• Thinkers tend to focus
on facts and technical details while communicating.
• Thinkers have a methodical
way of approaching problems and tasks, and work well
independently.
• Thinkers are detail-oriented,
accurate, and always have the best PowerPoint presentations.
However, they may sometimes become overwhelmed by
the details and lose track of the big picture.
• Thinkers are uncomfortable
with conflict, and feel that facts should take precedence
over emotion.
• Thinkers need time to
adjust to change. How to communicate with a Thinker: • Present your ideas in
a logical fashion, and back them up with lots of
facts and proof.
• Try not to rush a Thinker
during a conversation or in her/his work.
• To help Thinkers cope
with change, focus on the reasons that made it necessary,
and the individual steps needed to achieve it.
• If you're the boss, encourage
the Thinkers on your staff to share their ideas,
since they tend to be quiet and reserved during group
sessions. The Director• Directors are bold and
direct. They focus on the big picture, and tend to
be competitive, aggressive, and ambitious.
• Directors get right to
the point, and generally use as few words as possible.
Directors may come across as forceful and intimidating
to others.
• Directors are concerned
with achieving tasks and goals, and often forget
about the needs of the people carrying out the work.
• Directors like to be
involved in several projects at once.
• Directors are not detail-oriented,
and can under-estimate how long it would take to
accomplish a task.
• Directors are unafraid
of conflict, and may seem overly stubborn in defending
their ideas.
• Directors thrive on change. How to communicate with a Director: • Get to the point right
away, and communicate your ideas quickly and clearly.
• Show how your ideas are
compatible with their goals.
• If you're the boss, ensure
that the Director's curt and straightforward style
of communicating isn't causing conflict with the
rest of the staff. If you are the boss and a Director,
remember to pay attention to the feelings of your
staff, not just the end results they achieve. * * * * * Each communication style has its own strengths and drawbacks, and most workplaces rely on a mix of styles to be productive. Recognizing another person's method of communicating and adapting your own style accordingly can help get your message across, avoid conflict, and make your workplace a better environment for everyone.
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