workplace communication styles are the key to an effective workforce anywhere around the world. But are you someone who notices a slight difference in behavior at work when compared? If you answered “yes,” then you are correct! There are certain methods to understand how someone behaves differently compared to others and how their communication style impacts others.
What are “Communication styles’ in the workplace?
Our predisposition to communicate directly or indirectly defines our communication styles. In the office, you’re likely to encounter four different communication styles. You’ll be better able to work with any sort of person if you can precisely recognize each style. These workplace communication styles allow us to better understand the work environment and our colleagues, as this indicates the ongoing situation in any workplace.
The four types of ‘Communication Styles’ in the workplace
In order to answer your confusion and questions, we tried to jot down the four possible communication styles in any workplace that you may join and encounter on average. And to sum it up, we can say there are exactly four crucial communication styles in any workplace that you will go through, and they may not necessarily be positive or heartwarming in any form. Starting with;
Manipulative Behavior
Manipulative conduct is when one person tries to control another’s emotions to get a particular response or result. Some of the core signs of a manipulative colleague or person in a workplace would be making excuses for you, blaming you, or intentionally divulging information about you while keeping other realities hidden. They usually think they are gaining control over you and some sense of intellectual superiority by doing so. Exaggeration and generalization are two skills that manipulators excel at.
It is very much encouraged not to be categorized as a manipulator as office policies may claim such incidents as bullies, and if you are someone who has been a victim of a manipulator, it is advised to talk to the human resources team or authorities immediately.
Submissive
To obey or surrender to someone else is to be subservient. You yield to someone else’s wishes when you are submissive, which means you put your own objectives below theirs. Submissive behavior often includes a variety of signs, such as self-protection, which is described as hunching the body, providing a sense of protection, and shielding critical parts, such as the crotch with hands or the neck with a chin pressed down.
While being submissive is acceptable, it is dependent on the degree to which someone in a workplace is submissive. Suppose you are someone who takes up unnecessary work because you want to be nice. In that case, it may not be healthy in the long run but rather have a damaging impact on the self-esteem and confidence of someone who is always submissive to a very significant degree.
And hence, it is usually easy to influence and manipulate submissive people at work.
passive-aggressive
Acting indirectly hostile rather than outright aggressive is what passive-aggressive conduct entails. Passive-aggressive people frequently oppose requests or demands from family and other people by postponing, showing sullenness, or acting obstinately. And to understand who is being passive-aggressive, it is important to outline the major signs, including resentment and antagonism to other people’s demands, particularly those made by those in positions of power. Similarly, in reaction to others’ requests, there might be resistance to collaboration, a potential form of procrastination, and purposeful blunders to avoid doing work.
On the other hand, passive behavior is the total opposite of aggressive behavior in general. Passive behavior is similar to submissive behavior, but the meaning is slightly different. The term “submissive” refers to meekly obedient or passive, whereas “passive” refers to someone who is submitted to action without creating a reaction. Hence, when you see someone giving no reaction at all to your activities, this highly suggests that you have encountered someone who is passive.
In addition to that, aggressive behavior often leads to a lot of violent reactions, which is very much discouraged and not accepted in many workplace environments and often leads to being laid off from work itself.
Overall, while passive, aggressive, and passive-aggressive have different sides and vary significantly, they aren’t usually encouraged in the workplace due to the unusualness they carry in the workplace and the very irregular awkwardness that is created of it.
Assertive
Assertiveness is defined as inspiring others to be transparent and upfront about their thoughts, desires, and feelings in order for both parties to act appropriately. The following are examples of assertive behavior: expressing wishes, thoughts, and feelings openly and incentivizing others to do the same. And such behavior is often encouraged in a workplace environment in order to ensure creative and meaningful work. Assertiveness often brings out the best in teams and individuals, which also positively contributes to the output, productivity, and overall efficiency.
How do they work for remote and non-remote teams?
While communicative styles are often more visible in non-remote jobs because the behavior can be easily traced, it may be difficult and inaccurate to judge someone who lives thousands of miles away simply because they once behaved in a certain way or sometimes do.
To conclude
Overall, we tried to put out the four most common communication behaviors in any workplace for your convenience!