Communication Styles free essay sample

The different communications styles are a big part of the reason for this. The four communication styles are Hidden, Closed, Blind and Open. Each one is unique and important to the workplace. Without the four communication styles, the workplace would never function correctly. The most important thing for a manager to understand is how to work with the communication styles in order to achieve the most productivity and success. The first communication style that I’ll discuss is hidden communication. According to Cheryl Hamilton in the book communicating for Results â€Å"Hidden style communicators are interested in people, are good listeners and are generally well liked† (Hamilton, 2011, p. 73). These qualities make a hidden communicator one of the most pleasant people to work around and the easiest to get along with. They provide a great and positive workplace for everyone around them. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are creating the best work environment for themselves though. We will write a custom essay sample on Communication Styles or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When a person spends so much of their time attempting to please others and keep harmony in the workplace, they suffer internally. This is a huge problem among hidden communicators. According to the book, â€Å"Hidden communicators are motivated by mistrust of people or by the desire for social acceptance or even both† (Hamilton, 2011, p. 73). This leads to internal conflict within them and can also lead to less than quality work performance. Management needs to be aware of how to handle hidden communicators. According to N. R. Laroche, â€Å"You must look for non-verbal signs because hidden communicators do not easily disclose information† (Laroche, 2008). This will allow for the best results in working and succeeding with hidden communicators. Closed Communication is next on the list. As mentioned above, closed communicators are not really the people person. The text says that closed communicators â€Å"Simply feel more comfortable working with things than with people. † They are good at jobs that require very little interaction with others (Hamilton, 2011, p. 70). You would not see a closed communicator working as in sales or any other job that requires interaction with the public. They cannot deal with groups or complaining from others. They tend to be considered anti-social by others but in reality, they are just keeping their safety net up in order to not be made into a fool. Sometimes closed communicators and hidden communicators will be confused with the other due to how both styles handle because both keep their own opinions and feelings hidden from the rest of the world. Overall a closed communicator rarely discloses information and rarely seeks feedback for others. As a manager, the best way to work with a closed communicator â€Å"Is by discussing with them in a one-on-one environment†Ã‚  (Hamilton, 2011, p. 71). Remembering not to put the closed communicator on the spot in front of co-workers is vital to success. The third communication style that we are going to discuss is the blind communicator. We have all seen this type of person at one point or another in our professional lives. They love themselves and their opinion. Hamilton says that â€Å"They thrive in situations win which they can demonstrate their expertise and experience. (Hamilton, 2011, p. 71). As a manager, the best way to handle an employee with a blind communication style is to actually work with their ideas. According to N. R. Laroche’s book A Primer to communicating as a Systems Analyst in Today’s World â€Å"A common technique used to work with blind communicators is piggy-backing on their ideas. Because people with this communication style are mostly subject matter experts, building on their strengths and ideas can be very beneficial while troubleshooting program bugs and problem solving†Ã‚  (Laroche, 2006). Blind communicators are typically very smart and tend to be experts in their field. Their ideas are usually better than many of the others presented. Their problem mainly lies in how they present the ideas and how they take criticism. The final Communication style is Open Communication. This style is great in a couple of ways. Open communicators are both productive and are accepting of feedback and disclosure from others. They care and they learn! This allows them to constantly grow as an employee. The only problem that Hamilton mentions about open communicators is â€Å"They may disclose too much too often and may ask for too much feedback† (Hamilton, 2011, p. 75). Open communicators may have problems in the workplace though depending on management. If they work with a manager with a closed style, they will struggle. Managers who are open communicators will in turn struggle when they have employees that are not. It is a delicate balancing act in the workplace. The best way for management to work with open communicators in order to achieve the best results is be open to negotiations and employee involvement. The best ways to deal with open communicator employees is as follows: share with them, place them in friendly environments, voluntarily give them constructive criticism and praise them. These will keep an open communicator happy and content. Management in general needs to know the four communication styles and they also need to identify their own in order to run a company successfully. Knowing the styles can also be useful during the hiring process. For example if you’re looking to hire a software engineer for your company, you’re not going to be overly concerned about how social and open they are. You want their skills and in a job like this, the engineer really won’t be spending much time working with the public. In this situation, a closed communicator would be a good fit. On the other hand if you’re hiring for the Human Relations Department (HR) you need someone with either an open communication style or the hidden communication style. They need to be able to deal with people as a whole. Once an employee or a manager has discovered their communication style, it is important that they become flexible in their work environment. They need to be willing to adjust slightly in order to be successful. Adapting or changing a style will require changes in your use of feedback, disclosure or both† (Hamilton, 2011, p. 82). Not understanding communication styles within the company can lead to problems and even tragedies. In 1986 the space shuttle Challenger exploded when it launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Although mechanical problems were the cause of the explosion, it was later noted that â€Å"Mangers at Marshall, a government contractor, did not communicate potentially serious problems with NASA but attempted to resolve them internally  (Rogers, 1986). Basically communication proved to be fatal in this case. Seven people lost their lives in a disaster that could have potentially been avoided if only communication between NASA and Marshall would have been better. Simply knowing how to communicate with one another in a company can truly make a difference in the atmosphere and moral. The most important thing for a manager to understand is how to work with the communication styles in order to achieve the most productivity and success.