Exploring Communication Styles

What do people think about this breakdown of communication styles?? Any suggestions for alternative systems?

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.