At the end of this lesson, you should be able to identify your personal interactive styles; and create opportunities to connect with others and recognise different styles of communication.
Self Awareness
One of the themes that you will notice running through the Dux programme is the theme of "Self Awareness". Be prepared! Dux will be posing many more questions to you to help you discover your best true self.
Know Thyself for Better Communication
Having a clear perception of your strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions will help you to be a better communicator. Being self-aware helps you to understand other people, how they regard you, your attitude, and your responses to them in the moment. Knowing who you are allows you to communicate better, listen better, and create more impactful interactions.
Styles of Communication
We all have communication styles in which we communicate. Read through the descriptions below to identify your predominant communication style:
The Listeners
- Listeners are considerate and sympathetic. They are focused on people and interpersonal relationships.
- Listeners are wonderful team players, since they are cooperative and easy to work with.
- Listeners are great listeners (duh!) and are always willing to help others. However, their desire to keep everyone happy may sometimes interfere with getting the job done.
- Listeners dislike conflict, and will try to mollify the people involved and smooth over the issues.
- Change can upset relationships as well as work routine. Listeners can become upset by this, and so need a while to adjust to change.
- Listeners believe there is more than one method to achieve the same results and demand a voice in decisions that affect them.
- They place a high premium on relationships and more often seek security rather than taking risks. Listeners can be slow decision makers and don't delegate well.
The Socialisers
- Socialisers are expressive, enthusiastic, excitement driven, 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 side-tracked onto another story altogether. They may be too talkative.
- Socialisers are great motivators because of their enthusiasm. They like public speaking and attention.
- Socialisers usually focus on the bigger picture, and may sometimes neglect the details or the order of things. They have problems following through with an idea.
- Socialisers are easily bored by routine, and work best in a group setting.
- Socialisers often make decisions based on intuition. They can be impulsive and make snap decisions.
- Socialisers are optimistic and persuasive.
- Socialisers are not afraid of conflict, and enjoy spirited discussions that involve a difference of opinion.
- Socialisers love change and challenges. They are creative and have a good sense of humour.
The Thinkers
- Thinkers are technical, analytical, 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. They can be slow decision makers and may be indecisive.
- 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. They enjoy predictability and rules, and are low risk takers.
- Thinkers are conservative in their style and can be rigid and overly serious.
The Directors
- 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. They are pragmatic and assertive in their approach.
- 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. They are excellent problem solvers.
- Directors thrive on change, are risk takers, competitive and competent in their work.
- Directors can be arrogant and domineering and generally are not good listeners.
For a dynamic list of additional communication information,
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Answer in the introspective quiz below: