BUS3041 Week 1 Disc

Communication Styles

How do you communicate? How does your particular style �t with the needs and requirements of a

leadership position?

The answers to these questions are complex. You probably know yourself fairly well. You know if you

are assertive and outspoken or quiet and shy. You know if you enjoy con�ict or not, whether you prefer to work in groups or individually, and whether you are oriented toward detail and tasks or toward the

big picture and relationships.

Your communication abilities and your individual personality will be highlighted in an organization that

has a culture similar to your own personality and style. This will make the job of managing others much

less complicated and de�nitely more effective.

No matter what your style, you can probably �nd a workplace that supports and appreciates your characteristics; particularly if you are adept at analyzing situations and mediating your styles

appropriately for different audiences and business situations.

Finding a workplace that �ts who you are is important, but now let's consider who you are.

Critical self-awareness is rare and something that few people are likely to have. Often, people have a

sense of self-awareness, but because they are so aware of who and what they are all the time, they

often do not spend enough time contemplating how they are perceived by others and understanding

the rami�cations of certain traits that they have and styles that they use.

There are multiple personality and communication style assessments and scales that can use to help

illuminate who you are and what that means for your leadership communication future. You may have

taken assessments in classes that gave you a Myers-Briggs type or a con�ict management style. Both

of these assessments are commonly used assessment methods that can provide you with insight and

self-awareness.

At a basic level, communication styles are:

Open or reserved

Direct or indirect

Remember that these are not absolute categories. You may fall in the middle between open and

reserved. You may fall into these traits according to situations; that is, with your family you are very

open, while you are very reserved with your instructor or your supervisor. Consider where you fall

most of the time; consider this a continuum or a range from open on one extreme and reserved on the other. You can also self-assess on the basic behavior types of communication. The supplemental media

provides an overview of basic behavior types.

Additional Materials

View a Pdf Transcript of Situational Communication (media/week1/SUO_BUS3041_W1_L3.pdf?

_&d2lSessionVal=YfxRWAKw387e5kGxjGY0vhDG7&ou=92850) 