All too often, people make the mistake of thinking that good communication begins and ends with the speaker. However, taking into account who you’re speaking to and how their personality affects their communication style also plays a significant role in strong communication. Over the past two blogs, we’ve discussed some of the more common personalities you might encounter in the workplace. Today we’ll conclude our series with two final personality types:
-“The Silent Type”: The Silent Type can be a tricky personality to gauge since there could be several different underlying reasons for this person’s silent nature. The important thing to remember is not to overcompensate. Often when faced with a person of few words, people feel awkward and try to make up for it by talking even more than normal. Resist the urge to fill in pauses with unnecessary speech. The Silent Type usually chooses his or her words carefully, so pay close attention to what it is they’re actually saying, and don’t drown them out with filler chatter.
-“The Competitor”: The Competitor gauges their success based on how they are perceived in reference to others. Although a little competition between coworkers can be a strong drive for success, when taken to an extreme, it can be detrimental to the professional environment. When talking to The Competitor, use the pronoun “we” whenever possible and appropriate. It establishes a sense of collaboration and reduces the feeling that it’s every man for himself.
Although no one person fits perfectly into any of the personality types we’ve outlined in this series, odds are most people in your professional life will possess aspects of one or another. As you go through your work day, take a moment to consider those you work closely with, and what personality traits characterize them, and how you can best communicate with them.
Want to learn more about effective communication in the office? A corporate speech-language pathologist can help! Also known as a speech coach, a corporate speech-language pathologist will help you boost your communication and speaking skills to help you advance your professional life. Whether you are concerned about your voice, pronunciation, confidence, conversation or presentation skills, a speech coach can help identify your main difficulties and show you how to overcome them. To find a corporate speech-language pathologist that’s right for you, visit us at www.corporatespeechsolutions.com!