Communication Styles

If you’ve reached adulthood you have probably figured out that people communicate in different ways. Some like to text everything, some will only talk on the phone, and others, like me, need everything written down so I rely heavily on email. The sooner you understand the communication style of those you interact with the most, the better your relationships will be. But have you also learned other ways people communicate?

Consider these additional categories for how people communicate:

Creative vs. Linear – There are creative thinkers and there are what I call linear thinkers. I would consider myself a linear thinker. As someone is talking, I’m thinking of a list of questions to ask, a list of tasks to perform, a list of emails to send, etc.. and they are all in a bulleted list in my mind’s eye or a spreadsheet if I’m at my computer. If you would like an example of my thought process, read my blog “Details Matter.” To me, creative thinkers are more picture or color or music thinkers. They brainstorm and critique and brainstorm all in one sentence. Creative thinkers can seem to have an endless supply of ideas from every angle you can imagine. They bring a delightfully different perspective than my own to a conversation.

Waffle vs. Spaghetti – Then there are what I call waffle versus spaghetti thinkers. (There’s a book with a similar title but I’m using the terms differently.) Waffle thinkers can compartmentalize their topics. In a meeting, they can discuss Event A, then switch to talking about Event B, and then ask about your family. There’s no crossover. When the team has completed their agenda on a subject, the conversation about it is over. Spaghetti thinkers can’t stay on topic to save their lives. They change topics as often as they blink their eyes. Their mind simply can’t stay on one path for very long without some serious redirection. Don’t bother to bring an agenda to a meeting with a spaghetti thinker.

Internal vs. External – I think you can also add internal and external processors to the list. The internal processor usually needs to take in information and then walk away. It may feel like an internal processor is disengaged or not participating in the conversation when in reality, their mind needs time to break down what they heard. Internal processors, in time, generally come back to the table with groundbreaking ideas, it just takes a little longer.

An external processor can be confusing at first especially if they are your boss. It can feel like an external processor is telling you to do a long list of things when in reality they are talking about all of their possible options out loud before landing on one. Once you realize you are not being given a task list, sit back, give the occasional “uh-huh,” and wait for the final answer. Watching an external processor work can be fascinating. It is like actually opening someone’s brain and watching the thought process physically, tangibly unfold before your eyes.

When planning events, understanding your client’s or your team’s communication styles will save you a lot of time and money throughout the planning process. It can help you work more efficiently and avoid mismatched expectations.

As the event host, understanding your audience’s communication styles will help you design an experience that the attendee will never forget. It can drive decision-making when it comes to speaker selection, session style, event flow, and even location and time of year of the event.

Have you experienced a different set of communication styles? I’d love to hear about them. You can email me or leave them here for everyone!

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To schedule a consultation with Tracy Baer, CMP, visit tracybaer.com.