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- Do you ever get the feeling that your communications
aren't landing as well as they could?
Don't worry, it happens,
especially if your message is going out to a wide audience.
Projects are made up of people
with a variety of personalities,
and as a project leader, it's your job to make sure
that your message lands well with all of them.
To do that well, you need to know who you're working with,
so you can cater to their communication style.
So let's take a look at four communication styles
you may find on your team.
These are created by the New York Times bestselling author
and leadership guru, Mark Murphy.
He spent decades researching interpersonal communication
and developed this construct
so you can understand your own communication style
and how it coincides with those of others.
Analytical communicators lead with facts, not emotion.
They prefer concrete data and numbers,
and typically dislike when things are unclear.
They trust those who are in command of facts
and aren't concerned about the process
that got you to your data, as long as it's correct.
Analytical communicators are all business,
which means they typically hold
a relatively unemotional view of things.
This allows them to use logic and data
to make decisions and work out problems.
Colleagues often look to analytical communicators
for informational expertise and objectivity
as their focus on facts enables them
to stay neutral in most situations.
Emotional words don't hold sway
with analytical communicators.
They rely so heavily on data
that you'll lose their trust quickly
if you don't have a firm grasp on the facts.
This communication style might come across
as rude or different in situations
that would otherwise require some emotional intelligence.
It's not that analytical communicators don't care
or are incapable of emotion.
They're simply more focused on reaching a goal
and prefer to keep interpersonal issues
or communications separate.
Focus on facts and data to support the points you're making.
Be clear, concise, and logical in the language you use.
Make sure you're prepared with facts
to back up any proposal, argument or idea
that you bring to them.
Cite sources or quote others when communicating in writing.
Don't push for immediate decisions.
Present your data and give them time
to think through things rationally.
When possible, present your ideas with arguments
or options for possible outcomes.
Be prepared to answer questions,
and maybe even anticipate them so you can come to the table
with well thought-out responses.
If you wanna build relationships with these folks,
know they typically put work first.
Intuitive communicators never get lost in the details.
In fact, they prefer seeing the big picture
so they can get right to the point.
They make decisions quickly
because they don't overanalyze the situation
or get overwhelmed easily.
Intuitive communicators are able to look
at the overarching situation
to understand challenges and opportunities
and will quickly act on that.
Their knack for big-picture thinking
means they're not afraid to challenge the status quo,
and that often makes them great innovators.
Because intuitive communicators
lack the patience to dig into details
they run the risk of missing important points
or skipping steps that could negatively impact their work.
You'll have to check in on their progress
and make sure you've got a process in place
to check their final work product for errors.
Share big-picture situations
and avoid nitty gritty discussions about process.
Focus on the end product
and only zoom in on critical details
when you absolutely need to.
Remember that getting in the weeds will only frustrate them.
When discussing ideas, provide a variety to think on.
Use existing visuals or sketch out ideas
to make sure your points are sticking.
The functional communicator
loves being in command of details,
as they value specs, timelines, strategies, and plans.
Their attention to detail means they work hard
to make sure no stone goes unturned.
They focus on process, communicate end goals,
and prefer seeing things presented
in a stepped out logical fashion.
Functional communicators are great
at breaking down situations to consider every aspect.
Because they thrive on process and mind the details,
that often earns them trust on teams.
Team members often look to functional communicators
to implement new strategies
or play devil's advocate where necessary.
You may have guessed it by now,
but you'll often find functional communicators
in project management roles.
We all know that there's a lot more
to communication than process.
Functional communicators
can get so caught up in the details,
they run the risk of annoying
or even losing the attention of their audience.
Connect conversations and points to a process or a plan.
Always provide clear context
and structure with your communications,
making sure any arguments points, tasks, or to-dos
are outlined in your discussion
have a distinct start and end date.
Bullet points often work well.
Be specific in pointing out how a certain action or inaction
could impact current or future tasks
affecting the overall project outcome.
Personal communicators are the people on your team
who easily make meaningful connections with others.
They're natural communicators
who embrace emotional language, listen well,
and truly value building
and maintaining personal relationships.
Their ability to connect with others and form relationships
often makes the personal communicator a strong team lead.
They want things to go well, not only with communications,
but also productivity,
and can sense when things are getting off track.
They're often able to gauge team morale
and even smooth over conflict
because of the value they place
on maintaining healthy relationships.
For that reason, personal communicators are often seen
as the glue that holds teams together.
While building strong connections at work is great,
relationships can sometimes get in the way of work.
This is where analytical communicators may call out
or even lose patience with a personal communicator.
That's why it's important for personal communicators
to be aware of their surroundings, in command of facts,
or at least take full responsibility
for their tasks or roles.
Use emotive language with details to help connect your point
to their emotional way of thinking and communicating.
Be authentically yourself
to help establish a personal connection.
Listen and show genuine interest in what they have to say.
Talk through situations and outcomes,
relaying points about how the outcomes
will personally affect those involved.
Understand that personal communicators
take everyone's perspective into consideration,
and that can take time.
Be patient and open to various viewpoints,
but know when to narrow your conversation down
to guide it to outcomes.
Try to get one-on-one time so you can deepen your connection
and understand what motivates them beyond your relationship.
Want even more tips and tools
for improving project communication?
Check out class eight, Winning Trust with Communication,
in our free online video course,
The Art and Science of Leading Projects.
Master the ins and outs of project communication
on your own time, at your own pace.
Plus, download helpful resources
like a communication plan template and principal guide
to these four communication types.
It's all on demand and totally free.
And that's it for this video on communication styles.
I hope you found it helpful.
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and hit the like button.
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Thanks for watching, I'll see you next time.
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