LEADERSHIP - COMMUNICATION

HOW TO ADAPT YOUR COMMUNICATION

Model created by research conducted by Merrill and Reid

The most challenging interactions will be those styles diagonally opposed to yours. To support you I’ve highlighted the key
traits from each style, together with areas to consider when engaging and interacting that opposing style:

Analyser:
Posititive Traits - Enjoy working alone, analysising data, great attention to detail, thorough, organised and disciplined.
To engage with an expressor – Liven up your communication visually and tonally, show a willingnes to be flexible in your
thinking.

Expressor:
Positive Traits – Big picture thinking, animated, outgoing, enthusiastic, engaging, grand ideas.
To engage with an analyser – Temper the enthusiasm, be less wordy and animated, provide facts and be structured in your
approach.

Controller:
Positive Traits – Decisive, authoratitive, comfortable making decisions, determined and single-minded.
To engage with a co-operator – Be wwilling to listen, dial back on the dominance, empathise, hold judgement.

Co-Operator:
Positive Traits – Friendly, approachable, supportive, natural people person, patient, relationship focused.
To engage with a controller – Dial up the assertiveness, don’t be “wooly and fluffy/lack substance in your communication,
provide solutions.

Exercise:
Consider an interaction you have coming up, think about the other person and what “style” you think they are? (If you
haven’t interacted with them before seek the guidance of someone else in regards to their personality, what are their
views?) Now consider your approach. What will you need to say, do, provide, in order to ensure your interaction is
worthwhile / productive…?

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