Five Cues That Your Leaders Need to Be More Flexible with Communication Styles in the Workplace

Leaders who aren’t adaptable to communication styles in the workplace often struggle to maintain relationships and manage organizational dynamics. Like emotional intelligence, flexing to others’ communication styles in the workplace is a crucial skill for success. Leaders who are skillful in delivering messages and being flexible in their approaches pay attention to the subtle needs of others. They match their communication styles to others. These leaders know there is no one-size fits all or best approach. Because of the variety of communication styles in the workplace, no approach works well in all situations with all people.

Different communication styles in the workplace means a need for different approaches

Effective leaders have the ability to tailor their speech and approach so that others more readily accept their ideas. These leaders capitalize on interactions with others, especially in critical business situations such as when implementing change, selling ideas, delivering performance feedback and working with peers. These are crucial times to pay attention to communication styles in the workplace.

You’ll know your leaders need to be more flexible in how they approach others if you see these five things:

1. Individual differences keep derailing teams being efficient and productive.
2. Rapport is strained between leaders and their direct reports, peers, customers and senior leaders.
3. Change messages are being delivered in ways that create additional upset and angst.
4. Leaders spending very little time preparing for important interactions.
5. Leaders miss opportunities to use the strengths of their direct reports because they may not recognize them.

Improving Leaders’ Flexibility in Adapting to Others

Many things contribute to poor flexibility and adaptability to communication styles in the workplace, including lack of skills. Leaders who learn about influence styles know that knowledge of communication styles in the workplace is a useful framework. They are able to make small but meaningful adjustments.

One way to address lack of flexibility to communication styles in the workplace is to develop leaders’ knowledge of behavior preferences. Many of these tools exist, including Insights Discovery, DiSC and Interaction Styles.

Knowledge of Interaction Styles in particular is a simple, but robust tool for increased influence and flexibility to others. The Interaction Style Profile and Guidebooks have been implemented by thousands of talent development teams across the globe, in multiple languages, as stand-alone training and embedded into existing training and development programs. The inventory and a beginner’s program are also available for those who want to learn without attending a group program.

Take the Interaction Style profile or complete our microcourse in influence to build your flexibility and adapting skills.

Contact us to learn more about improving leader flexibility