What are communication styles?

A communication style is how a speaker wants to communicate information, in a conversation with an audience. The size of the audience can range from one person to a large number of people.

Fundamental communication styles

Everyone has a uniquely different and preferred style of communicating. No communication style is inherently better than others. If a communicator is addressing a particular audience and chooses the wrong style of communication, then the audience will not be able to comprehend, and the purpose of the communication will not be achieved.

To avoid such problems, and achieve the desired goals and objectives in a business setting, appropriate communication styles must be used properly.

Following are the five fundamental communication styles:

• Assertive 
• Aggressive
• Passive 
• Passive-aggressive
• Manipulative 

Assertive communicating style

This is regarded as the most effective style of communication and is preferred in most business settings. A good communicator is confident about his knowledge and convictions and ensures that he does not belittle anyone who is included in the conversation. An assertive communicator does not resort to any manipulative techniques. Rather, he aims to conclude with the help of compromises and consensuses. He listens actively to others' views and opinions and clearly expresses his views, opinions, wants, and needs. He is a calm, positive, and calculated thinker has high self-esteem, and can solve various problems and handle difficult situations.

Aggressive communication style 

The assertive communicating style is threatening and hostile. The aggressive communicator believes that they should win at any cost. They believe that their contributions to the conversation are the most important and thus, can result in the belittlement and intimidation of other people included in the discussion. The content of the message might be lost because of the aggressive tone of the delivery. The unpleasant tone of the delivery may enable other people included in the conversation to push back the aggressive communicator. Aggressive communication style should be avoided in most business settings. 

Passive communication style 

Passive communicators are also known as submissive communicators. They tend to avoid conflicts and are easygoing and self-effacing. However, it should not be mistaken that a passive communicator is happy and content. As they are not able to express their wants and opinions, it may lead to the building up of frustration, with time. This might lead to miscommunication and the discarding of useful insights.

This style might be used as a reaction to an aggressive communicator.

Passive-Aggressive communication style 

This style combines both the passive and the aggressive styles. In this style, the communicator will appear to be passive, but underneath, the person might be angry and full of resentment. Therefore, the communicator will resort to indirect methods of releasing frustration, such as using sarcasm and spreading rumors and gossip. This can lead to the emergence of toxic work culture as it spreads discontent and bitterness in the workplace. Hence, this style is not recommended.

Manipulative communication style 

Manipulative communicators aim to control the outcomes of a conversation and the actions of the people around them. To ensure the desired outcomes, they use sly and deceitful methods. Manipulative communicators rarely communicate the truth. Instead, they hide their real goals and intentions in such a way that they can achieve what they want, without the other person realizing it.

This communication style often leads to clashes within the organization.

Other styles of communication

The communication styles can also be divided into the following four categories based on the nature of the communicators and what methods they use to convey information:

Analytical communication style 

An analytical communicator conveys information with the help of data, hard numbers, and quantifiable figures and facts. They do not consider the emotional components of communication. They look at problems logically and conduct proper research, collect information, analyze, calculate, and verify to come up with numeric data.

They may be perceived as cold and emotionless because they might dismiss those who do not communicate information in the same analytical manner.

Personal communication style

Personal communication style is opposite to the analytical style of communication. Communicators who use this style communicate emotionally. They give importance to human connections and the emotional components of communication. They seek to gather information about how their colleagues are feeling, and what ideas they have. They aim to create emotional bonds with colleagues and aim to resolve the conflicts between them by seeking diplomatic peaceful solutions.

Intuitive communication style

Intuitive communicators do not like being slowed down by practical details. They prefer to see the bigger picture, which they are quick to visualize. They can quickly and easily come up with solutions and ideas to efficiently complete the projects at hand. In simpler terms, they can see the problems broadly and offer great useful insights on how to solve them.

However, they can be impatient and can skip the important details. They might also miss crucial information and are not detail-oriented.

Functional communication style

The functional communication style is the opposite of the intuitive style. It is detail-oriented and includes even the little aspects of a project, plan, or feedback. One must walk through, inspect, outline, and improve every step of the process of a business project, before coming up with a solution. This style is great at understanding and analyzing what steps should be undertaken to ensure the success of the project. The management can allocate tasks efficiently and create timelines that are effective and functional.

However, the person in charge might get caught up in improving every step of the process and fail to see the bigger picture. This might prevent him from achieving the real objectives of the project.

Context and Applications

Communication style is one of the most fundamental topics in commerce and business studies. It is taught extensively in schools and universities. Knowing different communication styles and learning which one to use, depending on the audience and the situation is an essential skill that has to be possessed by professionals. The concept of communication styles is studied in the courses such as Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Master of Arts in Communication.

Practice Problem

Q1. What is another term used for the passive communication style?

1. Submissive
2. Aggressive
3. Assertive
4. Manipulative 

Correct Answer: Option a.

Explanation: Passive communication style is also called submissive communication style.

Q2. Which style combines both aggressive and passive communication styles?

1. Passive - Aggressive
2. Aggressive
3. Assertive
4. Manipulative

Correct Answer: Option a.

Explanation: Passive-aggressive communication style combines both passive and aggressive communication styles. 

Q3. Which of the following styles can be used as the reaction to the aggressive communicator if no other style is useful? 

1. Passive - Aggressive 
2. Aggressive
3. Assertive
4. Passive 

Correct Answer: Option d.

Explanation: Passive style can be used as a reaction to the aggressive communicator.

Q4. In which of the following styles of communication, the communicator is calm, composed, and confident and does not try to belittle anyone?

1. Manipulative 
2. Aggressive
3. Assertive
4. Passive - Aggressive

Correct Answer: Option c.

Explanation: Assertive communication style employs a communicator who is calm, composed, and confident and does not try to belittle anyone.

Q5. In this particular style of communicating, the communicator has clear goals in mind. To achieve such goals, he deceives others by using cunning and sly methods. Which communication style is this?

1. Assertive
2. Aggressive
3. Manipulative
4. Passive - Aggressive

Correct Answer: Option c.

Explanation: The act of using sly and cunning methods to achieve the desired objectives is called a manipulative communication style.