Understanding communication styles
Communication is an essential part of advocacy. When telling your story to a decision-maker, it is important that they understand what you are trying to say to them. Your advocacy will be most effective if you know your communication style and try to match to the person you are advocating to.
Of course, we all have very different ways of communicating. For example, consider the people closest to you: your closest family members and friends. They probably have differences in how they prefer to communicate.
Some people are more direct, some are more indirect. Some people are more energetic, while others are more low-key.
Identifying your own communication style, and the strengths and challenges that come with it, is an important first step.
Take a look at the word list below, which includes several words that could describe different ways of communicating. Are there any words that jump out at you as describing your communication style? Try to choose the 3-4 words that fit you best.
Thinking about other people, are there any words that jump out at you that you find difficult in others’ communication? Try to choose 3-4 words that you find most challenging in others’ communication.
- Personal
- Playful
- Objective
- Passive
- Bubbly
- Specific
- Thoughtful
- Analytical
- No-nonsense
- Talkative
- Reserved
- Excited
- Active
- Hesitant
- Quiet
- Bold
- Casual
- Purposeful
- Direct
- Sensitive
If you’re not quite sure what your own communication style is, there are many
free online assessments that can help you identify your own style.
Once you have a sense of how you prefer to communicate, it’s important to understand that this can affect how you relate to others – including decision-makers – who have different communication styles.
For example, if you picked out the words, “talkative,” “playful” and “bold” to describe your communication style, you may have trouble relating to someone who is “thoughtful,” “specific” and “objective.” As someone who is more open and fluid with expressing their thoughts, you may find it challenging to get your point across to someone who is more detailed and focused, and you may incorrectly think they are cold or disinterested.
If you identified with being “quiet,” “hesitant” and “sensitive,” you may find it difficult to relate to someone who is “direct,” “purposeful” and “no-nonsense.” You may find someone like this intimidating because they don’t worry about hurting your feelings and don’t seem sensitive to your needs.
When you have some awareness of your own style, you can recognize the range of styles that others have, and how you might need to modify your approach when advocating to them.
