4 Styles of Communication | Communication Styles In The Workplace

Summary

In this insightful video, Daniel from Next Level Life discusses the four key communication styles: analytical, personal, intuitive, and functional. He explains their strengths and weaknesses and provides practical examples to help viewers tailor their communication to resonate better with different types of people. The goal is to improve understanding and effectiveness in various situations, from business meetings to casual conversations.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Communication Styles: The video discusses four primary communication styles: analytical, personal, intuitive, and functional.
• 📊 Analytical Communicators: Prefer hard data and are skeptical of vague statements without numerical evidence.
• 🔢 Data-Driven Language: When addressing analytical communicators, use specific numbers and data to capture their attention.
• 🤖 Perceived as Cold: Analytical communicators may come across as unfeeling or robotic due to their focus on data.
• 💬 Personal Communicators: Value emotional language and aim to build relationships, being good listeners and conflict resolvers.
• 😊 Emotional Connection: Personal communicators respond well to speeches that include emotional language and expressions of pride.
• 👥 Relationship Focused: This style is beneficial for group cohesion and diplomatic problem-solving.
• 🌐 Intuitive Communicators: Focus on the big picture, avoiding details, and prefer a direct approach to communication.
• 🏁 Cutting to the Chase: Intuitive communicators appreciate when information is presented concisely, without unnecessary steps.
• 📚 Functional Communicators: Enjoy going through the full process and details in a step-by-step manner.
• 🔍 Attention to Detail: Functional communicators ensure nothing is missed in planning or implementation but may struggle to hold attention.
• 📝 Tailoring Communication: The video emphasizes the importance of tailoring communication to match the style of the audience for better resonance.
• 📈 Application in Business: Different communication styles are effective in various business scenarios, such as meetings or presentations.

Q & A

What are the four styles of communication discussed in the video?

The four styles of communication discussed are analytical, personal, intuitive, and functional communication.

How do analytical communicators prefer to receive information?

Analytical communicators prefer hard data and specific numbers, avoiding vague terms like 'positive' without specific percentages or figures.

What is a potential downside of using analytical communication style?

A potential downside is that analytical communicators might come off as cold, unfeeling, and robotic because they avoid emotional language and focus on data.

Why might a personal communicator pay attention to their co-workers' reactions during a presentation?

A personal communicator values emotional language and tries to build relationships, so they pay attention to how their co-workers are reacting to gauge their feelings and thoughts.

How can a speaker tailor their speech to better resonate with a personal communicator?

The speaker can add emotional language to their speech, make it more personal, and show appreciation for the audience's efforts to build rapport and engagement.

What is the main focus of intuitive communication style?

Intuitive communicators focus on the big picture, avoid getting bogged down in details, and prefer to jump right to the final step or goal.

What are the potential issues with using the intuitive communication style?

Issues may include jumping into situations too quickly without necessary details, leading to failure to achieve the desired outcome, and not being the best teachers due to their tendency to skip steps.

How can a speaker effectively present to an intuitive communicator?

The speaker should cut right to the chase, present the main points or recommendations briefly, and offer to elaborate on any specific point the listener is interested in.

What is the key characteristic of functional communication style?

Functional communicators like to go through the full process and think through each detail in a step-by-step fashion, ensuring nothing major is missed.

What might be a challenge for functional communicators when presenting ideas?

A challenge is that their long-winded style might make it difficult to hold people's attention, especially if the audience includes intuitive communicators who prefer brevity.

How should a speaker present ideas to a functional communicator?

The speaker should go through all the details of each idea, explaining the entire process to increase the functional communicator's comfort and likelihood of following through with the ideas.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Communication Styles Overview

Daniel introduces the concept of four communication styles, their strengths, weaknesses, and how to adapt one's communication to resonate better with different people. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's primary communication style and its effectiveness in various situations. The video aims to help viewers identify why certain communication attempts may fail and suggests ways to improve them.

05:03

📊 Analytical Communication

The first communication style discussed is analytical communication, characterized by a preference for hard data and skepticism towards statements without numerical support. Daniel provides an example of how to engage analytical communicators by using specific numbers instead of vague terms like 'positive'. He also notes that while analytical communicators are seen as highly intelligent, they might come off as cold or robotic, suggesting that this style may not be suitable for all situations or people.

👥 Personal Communication

Personal communication style is the second style, which values emotional language and relationship-building. These communicators are good listeners and conflict resolvers. Daniel illustrates how to tailor a presentation to resonate with personal communicators by incorporating emotional language and focusing on co-workers' reactions. He suggests that this style can boost employee pride and engagement but may not be as effective in situations requiring a more analytical approach.

🌟 Intuitive Communication

Intuitive communication is the third style, focusing on the big picture and avoiding details. Intuitive communicators are action-oriented and can be effective in achieving results quickly but may struggle with teaching or situations that require detailed attention. Daniel advises that when presenting to an intuitive communicator, one should get straight to the point and avoid lengthy explanations, as this style values efficiency and directness.

🔍 Functional Communication

The final style, functional communication, is detailed and process-oriented. Functional communicators prefer a step-by-step approach and are thorough in planning and execution. However, they may struggle to hold the attention of others, especially intuitive communicators. Daniel recommends providing full details when presenting to a functional communicator to increase their comfort and likelihood of following through with the ideas.

Keywords

💡Communication Styles

Communication styles refer to the various ways in which individuals convey information and ideas. In the video, four distinct styles are discussed: analytical, personal, intuitive, and functional. Each style has its unique strengths and weaknesses and is suited to different situations and audiences. The video's theme revolves around understanding these styles to improve communication effectiveness.

💡Analytical Communication

Analytical communication is characterized by a preference for hard data and skepticism towards statements without numerical backing. It is associated with high informational intelligence but can come off as cold or robotic. The script uses the example of a corporate presentation where 'sales are positive' would be met with requests for specific percentages to illustrate this style.

💡Personal Communication

Personal communication values emotional language and relationship-building. It involves being a good listener and smoothing over conflict. The video script mentions that personal communicators pay attention to co-workers' reactions, emphasizing the importance of emotional language in resonating with this style.

💡Intuitive Communication

Intuitive communication focuses on the big picture and avoids getting bogged down in details. It is characterized by jumping to conclusions or final steps quickly. The video provides the context of a boss preferring to hear recommendations directly and succinctly, which aligns with this style's preference for brevity and action.

💡Functional Communication

Functional communication involves a step-by-step approach to details and processes. It ensures thoroughness but can be less engaging for some audiences. The script describes how presenting ideas in full detail to a functional communicator can increase their comfort and likelihood of following through with the ideas.

💡Informational Intelligence

Informational intelligence, as mentioned in the context of analytical communicators, refers to the ability to understand and analyze information, often numerical or data-driven. The video suggests that while analytical communicators may excel in this area, they may lack warmth or emotional connection.

💡Emotional Language

Emotional language is the use of words and expressions that convey feelings and emotions. The video emphasizes its importance in personal communication for building relationships and connecting with others on a deeper level, as demonstrated by the speaker adding emotional praise to a sales report.

💡Relationship Building

Relationship building is the process of establishing and nurturing positive connections with others. The video highlights its significance in personal communication, where understanding and responding to others' feelings are key to creating a supportive and cohesive group dynamic.

💡Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is the process of addressing and resolving disagreements or conflicts. The script notes that personal communicators are adept at this, often using emotional language to soothe tensions and maintain harmony within a group.

💡Proactive Engagement

Proactive engagement is the act of taking initiative in seeking input or participation from others. The video script illustrates this with a speaker asking employees for their ideas and concerns, which is a strategy to engage personal communicators effectively.

💡Customer Experience

Customer experience refers to the sum of all interactions a customer has with a company. The video uses the example of recommendations for improving customer experience on a company's website to demonstrate how different communication styles can affect the presentation and reception of ideas.

Highlights

The first style of communication is analytical communication, which is data-driven and avoids emotional language. It's effective in situations that require concrete numbers but can come off as cold and unfeeling.

Analytical communicators prefer precise data over vague terms. For example, instead of saying 'sales are positive,' specify that 'sales have increased by 8%.'

The second style of communication is personal communication, which focuses on emotional language and building relationships. Personal communicators are good listeners and help smooth over conflicts.

To resonate with a personal communicator, add emotional elements to your speech, such as expressing pride in their work or asking for their input in a more interactive discussion.

The third style of communication is intuitive communication, which focuses on the big picture and avoids getting bogged down in details. They tend to skip steps and get straight to the goal.

Intuitive communicators are efficient and get things done quickly, but may struggle with detailed tasks that require a step-by-step approach.

When presenting to an intuitive communicator, cut right to the chase by summarizing key points rather than going into extensive detail.

The fourth style of communication is functional communication, which focuses on details and a step-by-step process. Functional communicators ensure nothing is missed in their planning.

Functional communicators are thorough and detail-oriented, making them effective in complex tasks, but they may lose the attention of more intuitive communicators.

To engage a functional communicator, present ideas in a detailed, step-by-step manner, ensuring they are comfortable with the entire process.

Different communication styles are best suited for different situations, and understanding them can help you tailor your message for better effectiveness.

Tailoring communication to suit different styles can lead to better engagement and understanding in both personal and professional contexts.

Personal communicators might find analytical communication too cold, while analytical communicators might find personal communication too touchy-feely.

It's essential to be aware of the communication style of your audience to avoid misunderstandings and improve overall communication effectiveness.

By identifying your own communication style and the styles of those around you, you can adjust your approach to achieve better results in interactions.

Transcripts

hey everyone Daniel here from next level

life and today I'm going to be talking

about the four styles of communication as

well as their strengths and weaknesses

and i'll also be giving examples on how

to tailor what you say to better

resonate with the people of each of the

communication styles now we all use many

styles of communication of course but

most of us haven't spent much time

thinking about which one we use the most

and whether or not it's actually been

effective for us have you ever had one

of those moments in school or at a

business meeting or even just talking to

a friend when you can tell that their

attention is somewhere else or maybe the

person you're talking to is even

impatiently tapping their fingers on the

table or rolling their eyes and that's

extremely rude so why do some people do

it well it's possible that the style of

communication you were using at the time

just wasn't right for that particular

person or situation and my hope is that

after watching this video you'll be able

to better pinpoint why that may be as

well as have some ideas on how to fix it

in the future so without further ado

let's get right into the video the first

style of communication is known as

analytical communication analytical

communicators generally like hard data

and tend to be a little suspicious of

people who don't have real numbers to

back up their statements for example if

someone from an analytical communicators

corporate office was giving a

presentation and said something like hey

sales are positive this quarter the

analytical communicator would be asking

themselves questions such as what

exactly does positive mean is that

one percent five percent ten percent

give me a number so if you're talking to

an analytical communicator how can you

best capture their attention simple

phrase your thought in a way that best

resonates with them instead of saying

hey sales are positive this quarter say

something like our sales figures have

seen an eight percent increase over the

last quarter not only will that capture

their attention but it'll also cut out

all that internal noise they experienced

when asking themselves hey what does

positive mean in that previous example

and as a result they're much more likely

to hear and remember whatever it is you

say next analytical communicators also

tend to avoid using emotional words in

conversation again they're very

data-driven on the plus side these

people are generally perceived to have

high levels of informational

intelligence but on the downside they

can come off as a little bit cold

unfeeling and

robotic in some situations so you may

want to avoid using this style of

communication when talking with people

who tend to have a more personal style

of communication however in situations

such as a meeting to determine whether

or not a certain product or marketing

campaign is going well this style would

work out perfectly the second style of

communication is known as personal

communication and unlike analytical

communicators personal communicators

tend to value emotional language and

they often try to use this language to

build relationships with others and find

out what they're really thinking or

perhaps more importantly feeling these

communicators tend to be good listeners

in addition to being good at smoothing

over conflict and going back to that

previous example of a member from the

corporate office giving a presentation

on recent sales trends the Personal

Communicator would be paying attention

to their co-workers reactions to what

the speaker is saying just as much if

not more so than to what the speaker is

actually saying themselves so how can

the speaker tailor their speech to

better resonate with this listener

simply add in some emotional language to

your speech again instead of saying hey

sales are positive this quarter and

leaving it at that smile and say something

like hey guys you've really made me

proud sales are positive this quarter

and that's the first time in three years

we've done that and it's all thanks to

your guys' hard work and I honestly

don't really have any critiques that I

can give you you all did a fantastic job

so instead of me lecturing you for the

next 20 minutes I was wondering could we

make this presentation a little more

interactive I was wondering if any you

had ideas for the next quarter that

you'd like to try out or if there's

anything that's been hindering you here

at work that I can help you with this

not only makes the speaker sound more

personal and inviting but it also may

boost the pride that the employees have

in their work and that effect of seeing

your co-workers sitting up a little

straighter maybe even puffing out their

chest as if to say yeah you darn right

we did good that'll definitely catch the

personal communicators attention as well

as make them feel a lot better about the

work themselves because again personal

communicators are generally very

relationship focused they're great at

listening they're great at solving

problems in a diplomatic manner and sort

of being that glue that holds the

groups together the potential downside

of using this style of communication is

it can come off as a little too touchy

feely in some situations particularly

when you're dealing with people who are

analytical communicator

the third style of communication is

intuitive communication intuitive

communicators generally like to focus on

the big picture they avoid getting

bogged down in details and cut right to

the chase in addition to that intuitive

communicators often don't talk in an

orderly or step-by-step manner when

explaining things they may give you a

few details or steps initially but

oftentimes they'll jump right to the

final step or the ultimate goal of the

process the upsides and downsides to

this style of communication are actually

pretty obvious on the plus side these

people are going to get right to the

chase and they're going to get stuff

done they'll never spend hours trying to

figure out every step of a process

before starting it and as a result they

generally procrastinate less however

this tendency can sometimes lead to the

person jumping into a situation that

really does require you getting into the

nitty-gritty details too quickly and

thus they fail to get the desired

outcome as a result also while these

people tend to get a lot done they often

aren't the best teachers due to their

tendency to skip steps in the process

which would only serve to confuse new

workers in my experience though I can't

speak for everyone here this style of

communication seems to be particularly

popular among bosses so it's important

to understand how to best give them the

information that they need in a way that

resonates with them for example if

you're giving a presentation to your

boss who's primarily an intuitive

communicator on the five recommendations

you come up with for say improving

customer experience on your company's

website the last thing you'd want to do

is to say something like this all right

my first recommendation is to revamp our

sales funnel in order to take a

consultative approach to the sales

process instead we should create two

sales funnels both distinct from each

other that will sort the customers based

on their current familiarity with our

products regular customers can go

straight to the shopping cart while first

time customers will be redirected to a

custom FAQ page relating to the products

they're looking at my second

recommendation is to employ customer

service surveys and have constant

communication between our customer

service department and our tech team and

in the interest of time I'm going to

stop right there because at this point

your boss's head is probably already

exploding the speaker is only on the

second recommendation thank God he only

has five right a better way to get this

information to an intuitive communicator

is to cut right to the chase like this

hey boss I have five recommendations to

improve customer experience on our

website number one take a consultative

approach number two use customer surveys

number three interview users number four

implement responsive web design and

number five make it more social please

tell me which one of the ideas you want

to hear more about it's actually quite

amazing how much of a difference this

simple act of changing how you phrase

things makes the boss that used to seem

so impatient is suddenly responsive and

they start developing a sort of trust in

you because you're showing them that you

can deliver the results the boss wants

in the way that they want it and finally

the four style of communication is

functional communication functional

communicators are very different from

intuitive communicators in the sense

that they actually like going through

the full process and thinking through

each of the details in a step-by-step

fashion on the plus side these people

will generally not miss anything major

when formulating or implementing plans

but they do tend to have a harder time

holding people's attention especially if

the people are intuitive communicators

due to the functional communicators

somewhat long-winded style of

communication in the previous example

about presenting five ideas to improve

customer service on your company's

website the best way to present ideas to

a functional communicator is to go

through all the details of each idea

going through the entire process of each

idea will actually increase the

functional communicators comfort with

whichever ideas they feel are good ones

and they'll be much more likely to

follow through with them down the road

so which communication style do you use

most let me know in the comments section

below and be sure to subscribe for more

videos like this as well as videos on

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make money online thanks for watching

and have a great day