The 4 Main Communication Styles

Supervisors, leaders, or managers who are well adept in distinctive communication styles incorporate the adaptability to adjust their interactions as per the communication styles of their team members, representatives, or workforce optimize their chances of becoming successful.

This adaptability is one of the most significant skills that leaders and supervisors must need to incorporate to benefit from their work-force in the most productive, constructive, and efficacious manner.

We all communicate in our specific manner – everyone has a unique style of communicating. Throughout the years, you must have built up your own style of speaking. However, the key thing here is being aware of your specific communication, as then you can use that to your advantage by being certain and in a commanding position.

By the end of this post, you will get introduced to different types of communications styles, their key idiosyncrasies, and upsides, so you can relate them with your style and polish your communication style to be more effective and favorable.

Introduction to Communication Styles

Investigation of human communication has, by and large, distinguished that we all utilize one of 4 particular communication styles and they are-

• Non-Assertive or Passive Communication Style
• Passive Aggressive Communication Style
• Aggressive Communication Style
• Assertive Communication Style

The way you convey, or the style of communication that you use affects the connections, interactions, and convictions you have with others. It decides your associations with your friends, peers, accomplices, your juniors, team-members, or anyone else.

Coming up next are the four styles of communication that deserve your attention here and now-

4 Communication Styles Communication Experts always talk about

Now, we are going to cover four of the most crucial communication styles that communication experts consider the most common ones in human beings-

1. Non-Assertive or Passive Communication Style

When you are passive, submissive, or compliant in your style of speaking, it is understood as non-assertive communication.

In this style, people prefer to follow the orders, perceptions, and inclinations of the other individuals while disregarding their own preferences or viewpoints. Individuals who are suffering from the absence of certainty and confidence in their own capacities mostly comprise such sorts of communication styles.

Such people, while interfacing others who have a more impactful presence, become unconfident and opt to follow the lead of others to satisfy them. They will in general surrender to other people. The inability to communicate adeptly prompts miscommunication, inferiority, anger, or disdain.

Common sentences preferably used passive speakers are “It doesn’t make a difference that much.” or “I simply prefer everybody to get along” and so forth.

Some traits of passive communication styles are-

• Not being able to make eye contact
• Not being able to say ‘No’
• The tendency of going with the flow
• Defensive gesture, posture or body language

2. Passive Aggressive Communication Style

People comprising this style of communication express their annoyance or objection inside instead of getting agitated or angry transparently.

Such individuals do not care for what has been said, ordered, or advised to carry out a responsibility by somebody that does not like, and hence they may react by causing delays, or by mocking it astutely or letting it stay unfinished.

Such sorts of communication styles are considered highly unprofessional and unproductive as it may prompt a great deal of disappointment and enmity. In this style, inner feelings of that individual will stay latent on a superficial level however uncovers a hidden disdain that comes through in indirect, shrewd, and inconspicuous manner.

People following such communication styles frequently use phrases like ‘Fine, whatever’. After saying something annoying, sarcastic, or rude, they frequently say “I was just kidding.”

Some of the behavioral traits of such people are-

• Frequent mockery or sarcasm
• Words don’t line up with their body language or activities
• Facial expressions don’t coordinate words
• Difficulty in recognizing feelings

3. Aggressive Communication Style

People comprising aggressive communication styles showcase their outrage, anger, and difference via obnoxious verbal attack. Even in some outrageous cases, they may resort to savagery or violence to share their views with lots of dominance over others.

Assertive speakers do not concern about the feeling towards the sentiments of others and they just think about getting what they need. In conflicting and unfavorable circumstances, aggressive communicators will either leave or react with hostility.

That is why; aggressive style of communication is damaging and should be controlled for the most part with treatment. It may ruin the whole purpose of the conversation. Such people issue orders and pose inquiries discourteously while neglecting to tune in to other people. It is consistently about “me, me & me.”

Common phrases used by such people are ‘Because I said so’, ‘boss is always right’ or ‘it is my way or the highway’.

Some of the traits of aggressive communicators are-

• Talking over others
• Interrupting others
• Poor listening
• Demanding or controlling
• Pointing fingers
• Starring and glaring seriously
• Frowning, intimidating, criticizing or threatening others

4.  Assertive Communication Style

People having an assertive communication style share their opinions, perception, and ideas without being aggressive or passive. Communicators who are well aware of what they need and have the certainty and confidence to get it to opt for this style of communication.

Assertive speakers regard the sentiments of other participants, plus they also do not hide their feelings, so they opt for a more cohesive, constructive, and productive style of communication.

Such people do not lose temper, but they incorporate better negotiation styles for creating win-win situations for themselves but without belittling, ignoring, or disrespecting others. This is the most right approach of professional as well as personal communication.

Some of the phrases used by assertive communicators are “We all reserve the privilege to communicate consciously, respectfully and sincerely.” Their behavioral traits include-

• Skills to communicate desires and needs with certainty
• Opt for balanced discussions in which the two individuals get an opportunity to talk
• Adept utilization of “I” articulations
• Maintaining proper eye contact
• Learning adept ways to say ‘no’

Now, after being aware of different communication styles, let us now understand their applicability-

Choosing the best Communication Styles for you

While going through the aforementioned communication styles, you can perceive why the initial three styles could cause some relational or personal issues when communicating with someone.

With an aggressive style, you will be neglecting to listen to other people, with the passive-aggressive communication style, you will be avoiding strife, and with passive style, you will impede yourself from expressive your actual feeling.

You may opt for an aggressive style with your near and dear ones some of the times, and passive style with your colleagues or seniors. Passive-aggressive styles can be useful when someone is trying to dominate you in a shrewd manner, but none of these can be applied in all situations.

All in all, assertive communication styles are perfect in all the scenarios whether you are connecting professionally or personally.

Fortunately, communication styles can be learned and improved. – And hence you can learn the style that you consider best for you. Some of the tips to learn and incorporate assertive style are-

Tips to learn Assertive Communication Styles

• Have control over your emotional outburst
• Learn the right ways of expressing needs and desires with certainty
• Use “I” explanations to showcase ownership
• Work upon your listening skills
• Incorporate the power of acceptance
• Try to comprehend other’s viewpoints or perceptions
• Maintain agreeable eye to eye connection
• Learn when and how to state “no”

Incorporating these habits will help you in incorporating assertive communication styles in your interactions.

Besides the aforementioned communication styles, there are some additional styles as well which are proposed by some of the industry experts. Let us now have a look at those communication styles as well-

Communication Styles suggested by Dr. Paul P. Mok

Dr. Paul P. Mok founder of Communicating Styles Technology (CST) identified 4 distinguished communication styles in his study.  When you understand these styles of communication, you will be able to understand others better.

No, any specific style is right or inaccurate – it is nothing but how we share our perception and how we gauge others’ perceptions.

Many of the times, people utilize more than one style of communication.

As per the analysis of Dr. Pail P. Monk, 4 communication styles people switch through in their personal as well as professional lives are-

1. Feeler

• Communication is based on direct human communication and anticipating emotions
• Comprises personal qualities such as family, companions, and devotion
• Likes to get steady inputs and thinks about what others think
• Keeps on focusing on past phases of a task
• Is spurred by adoration, appreciation, and the sentiment of being helpful
• Prefers tasks based upon human interactions, enjoys shining and likes to analyze individuals
• Feels awkward with structured zones, science, getting orders, impersonal circumstances, comprising accuracy
• Enjoys doing fun, interaction with people, group activities, casual clothing standard, an agreeable home environment for work
• Opts for the communication types such as spontaneous, informal, and unplanned
• Considered best for the employments related to psychology, sales, social services, trade, ministers

2. Thinker

• Always dependent upon rationale, logical, problem solving, organizing and critical thinking
• Personal qualities such as quality, morals, equity, ethics, justice, etc
• Focus upon different phases of a venture such as past, present, and future
• Prefers an analytical approach and likes to gather and use information and data
• Paying attention to the results before settling on a choice
• Prefers to investigate all points before any making any decision
• Do not find it comfortable to utilize direct personal communication and to do a quick decision
• Likes cold colors, classing clothing style, and a sorted out workplace
• Opt for consistent and composed communication type
• Considered best for engineering, law, designing, accounting, PCs, science, critical thinking related jobs

3. Sensor

• Makes decisions based upon work, results, and rivalry
• Comprises personal qualities such as activity, wellbeing and winning
• Keeps on focusing upon present phases of an undertaking
• Is persuaded by clear assignments, practical circumstances, clear objectives
• Always ready to do something, exceptionally quick and sharp scholars and decision makers
• Don’t have the patience to pause and listen
• Feels awkward with dubiousness, difficult speculations, circumstances with no clear purpose
• Likes serious games, betting, active sports, money related distributions, hot colors like red
• Opts for utilitarian and practical clothing style, a competitive work environment which needs quick moves from their side
• Likes communication type that has short sentences in a way that they are consistently in a rush
• Considered best for the employments like business, money related venture, construction, sales, sports, and anything dangerous that deals with decision making

4. Intuitive

• Communication is based on creativity, vision, imagination, and hypothesis
• Comprises personal qualities related to ideas, belief system, and discovery
• Keeps focusing upon future phases of an undertaking
• Is propelled by inventive and unstructured projects that need a creative mind and imagination
• Do not like dealing with structured territories, administration, and severe exactness
• Enjoys reading, waling, traveling, climbing sorts of activities
• Likes games like chess that need intellectual abilities
• Prefers a proper blend of colors with unpredictable clothing styles
• Likes cutting edge and thinking-lab workplaces
• Opts for communication types such as vision-oriented, abstract, idea-driven, imaginative, etc
• Considered best for the jobs related to science, research, teaching, design of new products, economics

So, these were four communication styles as per the analysis of human communication styles done by Dr. Paul P. Mok.

In our regular day to day lives, we are conditioned to behave in particular ways. Based upon such behavioral patterns, there is one another classification of communication styles that too include 4 types-

Types of Communication Styles based upon General Tendencies

1. Driver Communication Style

The individual who enjoys taking responsibility, taking charge of situations, and wanting solutions opts for driver communication style.

2. Analytical Communication Style

Such communicators are investigative and they value precision and details.

3. Expressive Communication Style

Communicators with such kinds of communication styles are the idea person who likes to share ideas in all the situations.

4. Amiable Communication Style

Such communicators are genial and they enjoy communicating in a way that develops relations.

Communication Styles Wrap Up!

Now, on the concluding note, we hope that you have understood the different types of communication styles that are prevalent in human beings.

By incorporating the right communication styles in your personality, you will be able to optimize the effectiveness of your interactions. Being aware of these styles of communication can be quite useful in many ways.

To begin with, when you realize your default style of communication, you can detect the best chances to go use that style to get favorable outcomes. Additionally, you can observe where you can improve by taking lessons from different communication styles.

Another key benefit of knowing about communication styles is the ability to identify another person’s style of communication. By knowing others’ style, you can adjust the manner in which you can convey your views to pull in that individual on your side.

In the end, you can figure out how to utilize each of the communication styles easily and enhance the odds that others will follow your proposals, understand your viewpoints, and have a mutual constructive association with you.