Learning Styles

Chapter Three
Understanding Your
Communication
Style
Chapter Preview: Understanding Your
Communication Style
• Style bias and its effect on interpersonal
relations
• Benefits of understanding
communication styles
• Elements of communication style model
• Identifying preferred style
• Style flexing
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Communication Style
• Communication style—patterns of
behavior that others can observe
• Understanding your style….
– achieve greater self-awareness
– develop more effective interpersonal
relations
– greater sensitivity to and tolerance for
others’ styles
– essential for managing key relationships
self others member of a group
Fundamental Concepts
• Individual differences exist and are

important
– i.e., gestures, assertiveness, expression
– each person has unique style
– identify by careful observation
• Differences tend to be stable
– Jung’s Psychological Types
– born with disposition that is exercised and
developed over least preferred preferences

• Four basic styles

– Intuitor, thinker, feeler, and sensor
– Similar characteristics within style
• Style is a way of thinking and behaving
– Not an ability
– Is a preferred way of using abilities or style

• Productive relationships are developed

by being in sync with others
– Important advantage when understanding
others’
– Adapting is style flexing

Communication Style Bias
• A common form of prejudice

• More likely when styles differ
• What can you do?
– Develop an awareness of your own style
– Learn to assess the style of others
– Learn to adapt your own style to theirs
– “Speaking the other person’s language” is
essential for relationship skills

Total Person Insight
Everyone has had the experience of

saying or doing something that was
perfectly acceptable to a friend or
coworker and then being surprised
when the same behavior irritated
someone else.
David W. Merrill and Roger H. Reid

Personal Styles and Effective Performance

Communication Style Model
• Two important dimensions of style:

– Dominance
– Sociability
• Dominance
– The tendency to display a “take-charge”
attitude
– an important dimension in interpersonal
relationships
• Everyone falls somewhere on the
dominance continuum
The Dominance Continuum
Figure 3.1 Dominance Continuum

• more cooperative • give advice freely
• eager to assist others • initiate demands
• less assertive • more assertive
• more willingly controlled • seek control
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Determining Your Preferred Style
• Identify yourself on the dominance

continuum
• Ask four or five people who know you
well to identify you on the continuum
• No best place to be
• Successful people can be found on all
points
• Both ends are necessary and important
at times
Figure 3.2 Dominance Indicator Form

(continued)

(continued)

Flexibility Is Important
• Low on dominance
– more assertive temporarily to achieve an
objective
– learn to be responsive without giving up
convictions
• High on dominance
– curb strong opinions and limit demands to
establish cooperative relationships

The Sociability Continuum
• Sociability is a tendency to seek and

enjoy social relationships
– measures if you control or express feelings
• Determining your preferred style
– Identify yourself on the dominance
continuum
– Identify yourself on the sociability
continuum
– Ask four or five people who know you well
to identify you on the continua
Figure 3.3 - Sociability Continuum
• expresses feelings
• open and talkative
• enjoys personal
associations
• controls feelings
• more reserved and
formal in relationships
Source: Gerald L Manning and Barry Reece, Selling Today: Creating Customer Value,
Ninth Edition, Copyright © 2004. Adapted by permission of Prentice-HallInc., Upper Saddle
River, NJ.
Figure 3.4 - Sociability Indicator Form

(continued)

(continued)
Ninth Edition, Copyright © 2004. Adapted by permission of Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ
Where Should You Be?
• No best place to be
• Successful people are everywhere
along the sociability continuum
• Flexibility is important
• Low sociability
– may need to be more expressive to avoid
perception of indifference or unconcerned
• High sociability
– may need to curb exuberance if more
formal environment is required
Communication Styles Model
• The model represents four

communication styles:
– emotive director
– reflective supportive
• Two factors:
– dominance sociability
• Model will help identify your most
preferred style

Figure 3.5 - When the dominance and sociability
dimensions are combined, the framework for
communication style classification is established.
Saddle River, NJ.
Figure 3.6 - The emotive style combines
high sociability and high dominance.
Saddle River, NJ.
Emotive Style
• Displays spontaneous, uninhibited

behavior
• Displays the personality dimension
described as extroversion
• Possesses a natural
persuasiveness

Figure 3.7 - The director style combines
high dominance and low sociability.
Saddle River, NJ.
Director Style
• Projects a serious attitude

• Expresses strong opinions
• May project indifference

Figure 3.8 - The reflective style combines
low dominance and low sociability.
Saddle River, NJ.
Reflective Style
• Expresses opinions in a formal,

deliberate manner
• Seems preoccupied
• Prefers orderliness

Figure 3.9 - The supportive style combines
low dominance and high sociability.
Saddle River, NJ.
Supportive Style
• Listens attentively
• Avoids the use of power
• Makes and expresses decisions
in a thoughtful, deliberate
manner

Identify Yourself?
• Nobody conforms completely to one

style
• Only one dimension of a personality
• Only deals with behaviors that others
can observe
• May be able to identify the style least
like yourself

Variation Within Your
Communication Style
• Preferred styles vary in intensity
• Zones radiate outward from the center
• These dimensions are intensity zones
• Boundary between zones are not a
permanent barrier
• People use "style flexing"

Figure 3.10 - Communication Style
Intensity Zones
Saddle River, NJ.
Communication Style
• Zone I
– Display behaviors with less intensity
– May be difficult to identify the style
– Not be as obvious in their gestures, tone of
voice, speech patterns, or emotional
expressions
• Zone 2
– Display behaviors with greater intensity
– Can sometimes observe behavior change
when upset or angry
Communication Style
• Excess Zone
– Characterized by intensity and rigidity
– Can also be labeled the "danger" zone
– Often inflexible and lacks versatility
• Extreme intensity in any quadrant can
interfere with good human relations
• People may move into the excess zone
when stressed, threatened, or insecure

Table 3.1 - Behaviors Displayed in the
Excess Zone

Tips on Style Identification of Others
• Focus on observable behavior

– The best clues are nonverbal:
• Gestures, posture, facial expressions, and
speech patterns
• Determine where the person falls on the
sociability and dominance continuums
– This is a process, do not rush to identify
– Different situations will bring out different
behaviors

Versatility: The Third Dimension
• Versatility means acting in ways that

gain a social endorsement
– Makes others feel comfortable
– Is independent of style
• Style flexing
– Deliberate attempt to change or alter style
to meet the needs of another person
– Temporary effort to act in harmony with
other communication styles

Total Person Insight
The best way to break a habit is to establish
another habit. For example, if you’re a
constant talker, stop talking. Work at it.
Kimberly Alyn and Bob Phillips

Authors, Annoying People

Strategies for Adapting Your Style
• Identify the style of the other person

• Think of ways to flex your style to gain a
social endorsement
• Several style adaptation strategies

Flexing to an Emotive Style
• Take time to build a social as well as a

business relationship
• Display interest in a person’s ideas,
interests, and experiences
• Do not place too much emphasis on
details
• Maintain a fast and spontaneous pace

Flexing to a Director Style
• Be specific, brief, and to the point

• Present the facts logically and be
prepared to provide specific answers
• Maintain fast and decisive pace
• Project strength and confidence
• Messages should be short and to the
point

Flexing to a Reflective Style
• Be well organized
• Be straightforward and direct
• Be accurate and realistic when
presenting information
• Messages should be detailed and
precise
• Speak slowly and systematically

Flexing to a Supportive Style
• Show a sincere interest

• Identify areas of common interests
• Draw out other’s personal goals and
views
• Listen and be responsive
• Do not be pushy
• Put priority on relationship building

Style Flexing: Pitfalls and Possibilities
• If sincere and honest, style flexing can:

– help build constructive relationships
– be a valuable, productive strategy
– be especially critical when something
important is at stake
• Do not label others
– classify strengths and preferences, not
people
• Do not let your own label become rigid

Strength/Weakness Paradox
• There is no best communication style

– each has unique strong points
• People have problems when they
overextend the strengths of their style
• Customizing your style can require
learning to overcome your strengths

Chapter Review
• Style bias and its effect on interpersonal

relations
– Communication styles are patterns of
behaviors that are observable to others
– Way of responding to people and events
– Bias is likely to surface when someone's
style is distinctly different from your own

Chapter Review
• Benefits of understanding
communication styles
– Knowing your style will help you achieve
greater self-awareness and develop more
effective interpersonal relations with others
– Accurate self-knowledge is the starting
point for effectiveness at work

Chapter Review Summary
• The communication style model is

formed by two dimensions dominance
and sociability
• Four communication Styles
– Emotive
– Director
– Reflective
– Supportive

Chapter Review Summary
• Identifying your preferred style

– Rate yourself on each scale
(dominance and sociability)
– Ask others to complete these forms for you
• Style flexing
– A third dimension—versatility
– You can adjust your own style to others
– Keep an open mind about others
– Don’t typecast or judge

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Chapter Three

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• Individual differences exist and are

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• Four basic styles

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• Productive relationships are developed

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• A common form of prejudice

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Everyone has had the experience of

David W. Merrill and Roger H. Reid

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• Two important dimensions of style:

Figure 3.1 Dominance Continuum

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• Identify yourself on the dominance

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• Sociability is a tendency to seek and

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• The model represents four

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• Displays spontaneous, uninhibited

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• Projects a serious attitude

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• Expresses opinions in a formal,

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• Nobody conforms completely to one

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• Focus on observable behavior

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• Versatility means acting in ways that

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Kimberly Alyn and Bob Phillips

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• Identify the style of the other person

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• Take time to build a social as well as a

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• Be specific, brief, and to the point

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• Show a sincere interest

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• If sincere and honest, style flexing can:

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• There is no best communication style

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• Style bias and its effect on interpersonal

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• The communication style model is

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• Identifying your preferred style

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