Understanding how to be an effective communicator is so important to everyone today. What most people don’t do is take the time to understand the way other people communicate so that they can be more effective.
What I’ve learned over the years is that once you know how the other person likes to receive information, the more success you’ll have in building a stronger and more productive relationship with that person.
Here are four types of communication styles you should notice so that you can have more successful meetings and projects:
- Squiggly Lines: These are the big ideas people who love to grab the attention at a meeting. You can count on them on throwing out a concept for a major initiative that sounds great. But don’t expect them to dive into the details to execute.
- Exclamation Points: These are the individuals on the team who will be your project leaders. They value harmony. They’ll spend the time working across all members of the team to get answers to key questions to move the project forward. They want to spend time getting to know you and how best to get assignments done.
- Bold Lines: These are the task-oriented folks. They’ll take notes, create a plan and break everything down. When the Squiggly Lines throw out a big idea, they will map out a project timeline with specific deadlines.
- Squares: These are the team members who have a million questions. They’re always looking for ways to gather data to inform their decisions. They will push you and your team members to think out of the box.
I know I’m a Bold Line-type, but I’ve learned to control this over time. Now, when I know how to assess the styles of my co-workers and team members, I can relate to them better and vice versa. It has to be a give and take.
Knowing communication styles will help you get further in your career and build stronger relationships with your team members.
