Communication Style Questionnaire

Your name …………………………………

Working across a whole row at a time, read the four boxes, then find the one that ‘best describes you’ and give this 4 points. Then find the box that next best describes you and give this 3 points. Then choose the next most like you, give this 2 points. Finally give the box that is ‘least like you’ 1 point.

For example:

Impressive … 3 … Self reliant … 1 … Relaxed … 2 … Responsive … 4 …

NOW COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE

1 Impressive… Self reliant… Relaxed… Responsive…

2 Expert… Realistic… Co-operative… Creative…

3 Specialist… Supportive… Informal… Decisive…

4 Diplomatic… Sense of fun…Common sense…

Job centred…

5 Eager… Knowledgeable… Efficient… Loyal…

6 Rational… Competitive… Faithful… Spirited…

7 Quick… Sensitive… Influential… Accurate…

8 Warm… Lively… Precise…Controls emotions…

9 Intelligent/academic… Impulsive… Agreeable… Direct…

10 Serious… Energetic… Considerate… Sensible…

11 Dynamic… Stimulating… Patient… Business like…

12 Take risks… Organised… Charismatic… Attentive…

13 Powerful… Logical…. Uninhibited… Sociable…

14 Orderly… Outgoing… Calm… Focussed…

15 Amiable… Expressive… Analytical… Controlling…

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SCORING INSTRUCTIONS

Copy your scores from Page 1 to this page. Put your score next to the same word. Add the scores in each vertical column. Put your totals at the bottom of the page.

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4

1 Self reliant … Responsive… Relaxed… Impressive…

2 Expert… Co-operative… Realistic… Creative…

3 Specialist… Supportive… Decisive… Informal…

4 Common sense… Diplomatic… Job centred… Sense of fun…

5 Knowledgeable… Loyal… Efficient… Eager…

6 Rational… Faithful… Competitive… Spirited…

7 Accurate… Sensitive… Quick… Influential…

8 Precise… Warm…Controls emotions…

Lively…

9 Intelligent/academic… Agreeable… Direct… Impulsive…

10 Sensible… Considerate… Serious… Energetic…

11 Business like… Patient… Dynamic… Stimulating…

12 Organised… Attentive… Take risks… Charismatic…

13 Logical… Sociable… Powerful… Uninhibited…

14 Focused… Calm… Orderly… Outgoing…

15 Analytical… Amiable… Controlling… Expressive…

TOTAL ……………. TOTAL ………… TOTAL ………… TOTAL …………

Check: the 4 column totals together must add up to 150

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FINDING YOUR PRIMARY STYLE

Calculate your scores for Assertiveness and Responsiveness

ASSERTIVENESS

Add sum of columns 3 and 4 = ………………………..

Add sum of columns 1 and 2 = ………………………..

(3 and 4) minus (1 and 2) = ………………………..

RESPONSIVENESS

Add sum of columns 2 and 4 = ………………………..

Add sum of columns 1 and 3 = ………………………..

(2 and 4) minus (1 and 3) = ………………………..

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TO IDENTIFY YOUR PRIMARY STYLE, find your ‘RESPONSIVENESS, score along the horizontal axis and your ‘ASSERTIVENESS’ score along the vertical axis.Plot your position on the diagram where the two intersect each other.

Ways to Generate Pull

Express feelings.

Flatter.

Be more gregarious and talkative.

Spend more time on the relationship.

Ways to Decrease Pull

Be restrained.

Control your enthusiasm.

Make decisions based on facts not gut feel.

Think before speaking, reason your point.

Ways to Generate Push

Be accurate, brief, clear.

Ways to Decrease Push

Seek views.

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60

50

40

30

20

10

10 20 30 40 50 60-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10

-10

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PULL – ASK (Responsiveness)

PUSH – TELL(Assertiveness)

DRIVER EXPRESSIVE

ANALYTIC AMIABLE

CONTROLS FEELINGS

SHOWS FEELINGS

Argue your point.

Be prepared to disagree.

Start conversations.

Be moderate.

Listen without jumping in.

Be flexible.

Let others dominate.

DRIVER

STYLE

♦ Persistent

♦ Direct

♦ Competitive

♦ Takes initiative and control

♦ Control feelings and emotions

♦ Strongly persuasive

♦ Business-like and straight forward

♦ Detached

♦ Values results

♦ Enjoys challenges

♦ Committed to getting things done

♦ Will confront and correct others

♦ Dominant and focused

THINGS TO AVOID HOW TO TREAT A DRIVER

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DOING TO A DRIVER

♦ Taking an interest in their personal affairs

♦ Being chaotic or disorganised

♦ Being vague or unsure

♦ Rambling on or wasting their time

♦ If you disagree, do not let it reflect on them

personally

♦ Using personal relationships to get an

advantage

♦ Staying for personal chats after business

♦ Give clear, brief, accurate data

♦ Prepare a well-organised package

♦ Focus on business, ask specific “what”

questions

♦ Present facts efficiently and concisely

♦ Provide options on which they decide

♦ Ensure key facts and figures to focus on

the probability of success

♦ Focus on objectives, results and the

bottom line

♦ Support their conclusions

♦ Finish the business and leave quickly

EXPRESSIVE

STYLE

♦ Friendly

♦ Good social style

♦ Uninhibited

♦ Puts people at ease

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♦ Generates enthusiasm in others

♦ Shares dreams and ambitions

♦ Excitable and talkative

♦ Use praise and favours

♦ Motivational

♦ High energy and vitality

♦ Flamboyant

♦ Intuitive and emotional

♦ Mood swings

THINGS TO AVOID

DOING TO AN EXPRESSIVE

HOW TO TREAT AN

EXPRESSIVE

♦ Crushing their views

♦ Being curt or formal

♦ Concentrating on facts and figures,

alternatives, abstractions or going into detail

♦ Wasting time trying to be highly controlled

and business-like

♦ Messing around too much; sticking too rigidly

to the agenda either

♦ Talking down to them; do not patronise

♦ Being longwinded

♦ Support their visions and intuitions

♦ Socialise and talk about their objectives

and opinions

♦ Ask for their ideas and opinions

♦ Get commitment to action

♦ Provide solid ideas for making decisions

♦ Allow time to be stimulating, creative, fast

moving

♦ Give incentives for quick action

♦ Be enthusiastic

♦ Control ‘dreaming’ with them or you will

lose time

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AMIABLE

STYLE

♦ Warm and friendly

♦ Good personal relationships

♦ Service oriented

♦ Makes unobtrusive suggestions

♦ Offers understanding and friendship

♦ Co-operative and supportive

♦ Displays empathy

♦ Easy to work with

♦ Patient and dependable

♦ Accommodating

♦ Good listener

♦ Logical

♦ Good in teams

♦ Good at disarming conflict

THINGS TO AVOID

DOING TO AN AMIABLE

HOW TO TREAT AN

AMIABLE

♦ Pushing straight into business or the agenda

♦ Sticking solely to business; on the other

hand, don’t lose sight of goals by being too

personal

♦ Forcing them to respond quickly to your

objectives; don’t say “This is how I see the

♦ Start with a personal comment

♦ Show real interest in them

♦ Come across as honest, open, sincere

♦ Identify patiently their personal objectives

♦ Present the case gently and with no

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situation”

♦ Being domineering or demanding,

threatening them with position and power

♦ Debating facts and figures

♦ Bullying them into agreeing - they will resist

♦ Patronising them by using subtlety or

invective

♦ Offering assurances you cannot fulfil

threats or pressure

♦ Ask ‘how’ questions to find out their

opinions

♦ Demonstrate how their decision will

reduce risks

♦ Provide benefits

♦ Provide personal guarantees

ANALYTIC

STYLE

♦ Quiet and unassuming

♦ Uses factual data and logical arguments

♦ Good attention to detail

♦ Conservative and conscientious

♦ Maximises procedures

♦ Calculates and plans

♦ Business-like

♦ Deliberate and precise

♦ Lets others take the initiative

♦ Seen as unemotional, aloof and business-

like

♦ Likes evidence before deciding

♦ Makes practical decisions by being logical

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THINGS TO AVOID

DOING TO AN ANALYTIC

HOW TO TREAT AN

ANALYTIC

♦ Being chaotic and impulsive

♦ Being breezy and casual

♦ Forcing the decision-making process

♦ Wasting time or being superficial

♦ Relying on personal persuasion

♦ Using references of others or unreliable

sources

♦ Using someone’s opinion as evidence

♦ Using slick techniques

♦ Give accurate, logical data

♦ Provide solid, practical evidence

♦ Stick to business and build credibility by

listing pros and cons

♦ Allow sufficient time to be thorough

♦ Organise and schedule presentation with

a step-by-step schedule

♦ Give them time to evaluate and verify

proposals

♦ Minimise risk by giving guarantees

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Flexibil i ty in Communicating with Others

It is important to be versatile when dealing with managers, team members,

colleagues and customers, not just by providing a variety of products and/or

services, but by being able to modify your communication style.

Before you can do that you need to know what your default style is and the

default style(s) of the person/people you are communicating with. Only then

will you be able to modify effectively.

Here is a table which identifies the 4 main styles of communication and the

“default settings” predominant in each style. In reality we can demonstrate all

styles, but there are always one or two styles which dominate our personality.

ANALYTIC DRIVER AMIABLE EXPRESSIVEFall back

positionAvoids Autocratic Gives in Attacks

They valueActivity &

precision

Results and

the bottom line

Attention and

friendshipApplause and praise

Personal

development

needs

Make

decisionsListen Initiate action Check the detail

Manage them

best by

Providing

detail

Allowing them

to build their

own structure

Making

suggestions &

facilitating

Aspiring to their goals

They l ike to

beAccurate Efficient Agreeable Stimulating/visionary

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To help

decisions,

provide

Evidence &

service

Options &

probabilities

Guarantees &

assurances

Testimony &

incentives

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