3.3: What is Style?

What is Style?

Most people recognize that style – in clothing, hair, and accessories – is how you express your personality.  Your communication style – how you speak, listen, write, and use your body language – is another way you demonstrate your personal style.

Make sure your appearance and communication styles are consistent.

There are as many labels for communication style as there are for couture, and understanding the elements is a good start to recognize, and own your style, and develop your brand.

There is no ‘wrong’ style.  The goal is to recognize your style, and that of the person with whom you are speaking so you can minimize the differences.

The goal, as always, is to increase the connection with another person.  You don’t have to change your style to recognize someone else’s.  When you understand why someone chooses to communicate verbally in a specific manner, it will make it easier for you to respond in a way that is easier for the person to understand.

Any number of internet searches can bring you a variety of definitions and types.  For our purpose, we are going to examine Mark Murphy’s four Communication Styles as described in Leadership IQ.  There is a simple and free quiz to get you started.

The four ‘types’ identified by Leadership IQ are based on how someone interacts with facts and how emotion is represented.

Analytical style communicators value hard data and frequently lead with the facts.  While they may seem cold and unfeeling, the reality is they are essential to evaluate a project without emotion.  Technical competency is important for analytical communicators. These individuals value precision and need exact figures and accountability.

Intuitive communicators start with the end in mind and are big-picture thinkers and talkers.  They can see beyond the details to the end goal.  However, they may not be best at working out the finer details of a plan and may be frustrated when tackling day-to-day tasks.  They are motivators and goal-oriented.

Functional communicators are about the process and timelines.  “To Do” lists thrill a functional communicator.  These are the people you want on your team to make sure everything is done, they may lose the rest of the team’s attention by the desire to review all parts of the plan.  Invaluable for making sure everything is done properly, there may be a tendency to lose sight of the overall objective.  They can keep a plan on track.

Personal communicators are about relationships and emotions.  These good listeners build connections with others and focus on the “who” in how something happens.  Sometimes called the “mom” in the group, keeping everyone together is the priority for personal communicators.  Sometimes others may find the ‘touchy feeling’ emotion distracting from the purpose.  Personal communicators can make sure everyone in the group has a chance to contribute and feels valuable.

Your verbal communication style is part of your personal brand.  It is your responsibility to make sure your style and brand communicate the same message.  This isn’t a one-time task but is accomplished through self-reflection and regular checks on your personal and professional progress.  Some people reflect through keeping a journal, others may be fortunate to have a mentor or friend to provide check-ins and check-ups.

Whatever method you choose, it is a valuable process.