BY JEN AUH
Having clear and effective communication is essential to express yourself and connect with others. Additionally, it is important to communicate in a distinctive way so people perceive you as a unique and charismatic person.
The way in which you communicate and interact with others is fundamental to achieving success both personally and professionally. How you communicate will determine your expression of emotions, opinions, and expectations.
What are communication styles?
Communication styles determine the way in which people exchange information and interact with others. Depending on the situation, someone may use a communication style or another. However, one communication style always predominates.
Some communication styles will facilitate social interactions, while others will hinder communicative exchanges. For this reason, it is important to recognize each style of communication and develop the one that gives you greater social and communication skills.
4 MAIN COMMUNICATION STYLES
If you know your communication style, you can learn how to improve it and adapt it to different situations. There are 4 main communication styles, so review them and consider which one matches your personality the most.
Passive communication style
Passive communicators struggle with expressing their needs and holding onto their beliefs. They hesitate to say what they think because they don’t want to provoke conflict. To their colleagues, passive communicators may appear shy.
Signs of passive communication:
– They may have a hard time expressing their opinion and stay silent.
– A passive communicator changes their mind often. If they make a suggestion but someone questions it, they might say “Never mind” or “I agree.”
– Several non-verbal aspects stand out, such as a low tone of voice, avoidance of eye contact, and non-verbal expressions that show insecurity.
Direct communication style
On the opposite end of the spectrum, direct communicators are straightforward. In general, it is easier for them to speak in public, and they are the ones who participate the most during group meetings. It is easy for them to express their opinion. Although this can be a sign of good self-esteem, they sometimes appear too aggressive and intimidating.
Signs of direct communication:
– They like to be the first to talk and often interrupt others.
– They are persistent and dominant during a conversation.
– They have a firm tone of voice.
– They take much more time than others during meetings.
– They question the opinions of others.
Passive-aggressive communication style
Passive-aggressive communicators are not direct but rather look for indirect ways to express what is bothering them. This happens because passive-aggressive communicators avoid solving problems directly.
Signs of passive-aggressive communication style:
– They are cold-tempered. They appear friendly to everyone except the people with whom they have a conflict.
– They don’t speak directly of their discontent.
– They talk to a team member about their conflict with another team member, but they don’t talk directly to the person causing the problem.
– Their behavior differs from what they say or what their body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions convey.
– Passive-aggressive communicators may say one thing but do another.
Assertive communication style
The ideal communicative style is assertive. An assertive communicator takes charge and does not beat around the bush. They express themselves clearly, and set their limits while respecting those of others, and are confident without being bossy. They put themselves in others’ shoes and are empathetic.
People with an assertive style are not afraid to ask for what they need. They can openly communicate their desires and recognize when someone is trying to take advantage of them. They have the confidence to take action and make and impact on their environment.
Signs of the assertive style:
– They address problems as soon as they arise instead of avoiding them and allowing them to escalate.
– They demonstrate emotional intelligence, which is the ability to recognize emotions (in themselves and others) and manage them in a healthy way.
– They are clear and direct in their communication.
– They are willing to ask for help when needed.
– They know how to listen to others.
– They recognize and validate other points of view while also expressing their own perspective.
If you want to discover and improve your communication style, book personalized image consulting services on the STYiLES app. You can find image consultants worldwide and book online or in-person consultations.
If you have any questions, contact me at jen@jenauh.com.