Do You Know Your Communication Style?

[Skye]

In our everyday professional life, we communicate to get a job done. Do you know how you communicate?

Are you passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive or assertive?

Take this quiz to find out what communication style you use: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/quiz-...ication-style/.

Learn more about communication styles here: https://learn.g2.com/communication-styles.

[mjmnl]

According to the result, I'm an assertive communicator. Before I took the test, I read through the article that you've also shared and already knew that I am an assertive communicator. I make sure to express what I want to say while still respecting the person I'm conversing with. It's good to know that it is the most effective among the four styles. Though I think, whether it is the best or not, I won't really change my ways. I grew up communicating in this manner and find it the most effective in building my relationship with others.

[Bjun]

Result shows I'm an assertive communicator. Although, I think in the past I was more passive-aggressive. I tend to just give hints and get frustrated when people don't do or I don't get what I want. I think the fear of being disappointed or rejected also brought about that passive-aggressive side. However, since I've realised that people are not mind-readers and I have to say exactly what's on my mind, I've become more assertive. It's not only effective in the workplace but in personal relationships as well.

[jcoppi29]

I'd be around assertive to its mix with passive, more like calm-assertive. Generally, if I go any more assertive without the calm part, I sound blunt or condescending. The communication style generally revolves around who I am talking to. If it's work, I'm generally cold sounding assertive or irreverent for non-serious topics. I've learned the hard way that people oftentimes don't know what you mean so I ditched the passive aggressive side, in the first place, most games don't play how they're intended to. I'd generally recommend to say what you mean, especially if you're dealing with people that hypothesize or overthink things for any masked meanings and all. Clear communications, without sarcasm and all that flair, build clarity and minimize actual passive aggression.

[Kamille]

I think I am an assertive communicator, the test said so too. I always try to say what I mean and mean what I say, in a respectful manner of course. I find it effective to directly express what I want instead of playing games. Although I think I have a tinge of passiveness especially when I'm trying to avoid conflict. Assertive communicators can sometimes come off as too strong for some, so I try to be as passive as I can just to diffuse the situation. Much like what jcoppi29 said, it basically depends on who and what kind of communicator I am talking to.

[jcoppi29]

Agreed. Switching modes and making it dependent on the type of communicator works well a lot. I find that most times, there's no point talking aggressive, active or assertive to someone that is strawmanning everywhere, going the sarcastic route, giving into passive aggression. I don't find a point in communicating if there isn't a mutual goal to a resolution, otherwise, I'd just waste time trying to correct any misinterpretation or mispresentation of my point, going around logical loops or beating around bushes figuring out underlying motives -- as what passive aggressive communicators do.

As for me, I generally go full passive if I'm not in a good mood because I may impulsively go hyper-aggressive, and I fear the damage I may cause if I go that route based on experience. I find it my responsibility to not let my inner demons take over so if they're agitated, I avoid as much as possible so I don't resort to pointless conflict escalation lmao

[Lou]

According to the quiz, I am an Assertive Communicator and I agree. I don't like people who are passive because for me, what's the point of communicating anyway? We communicate to try to understand each other and hopefully come up to a compromise that benefits everyone involved. Communication is always two-way. If the person you are communicating with does not give an active response, then there's no communication at all.

Although, there are instances when I understand passive people. Sometimes, people are passive due to anxiety, making it hard for them to communicate and express their feelings. But, this doesn't apply to all. Sometimes, people deliberately choose not to give a response because they know what they did and there is no way out of the discussion but to hush. That is annoying. Especially in a work setting and you are discussing something that affects the workplace and you get no response, that is quite annoying. Being passive defeats the purpose of communication.

According to this article, How Passive Leadership Can Hurt Your Company, employees under a passive leader " ultimately perceive their organization does not care about their well-being or provide the support necessary to succeed". You can read more about passive leadership here: https://www.cbia.com/news/hr-safety/...-your-company/

[Skye]

I think Passive Leadership does not necessarily mean they are passive communicators. But I do get your point. In either case, passivity, not positivity, does not serve well in the workplace.

[Kamille]

I found this article helpful in mastering the basics of communication in a workplace, and yes, the first step is understanding the different communication styles. That "we all know how to talk, but few of us know how to really communicate" line is so true. Communication between team members is sometimes the make or break factor in a company's success. https://plan.io/blog/communication-styles/