INKED

28ACED: Navigating the Four Primary Stakeholder Communication Styles

We each have a preferred style of communicating. Some people are direct, whereas others beat around the bush. Some people speak slowly and exhibit little emotion, whereas others are more animated. People may be direct and driven, analytical and careful, focused on building consensus, or social and outgoing.

You build deeper emotional connections and gain more concessions when you interact with stakeholders based on how they prefer to communicate. Stakeholders tend to like, be attracted to, and be more trusting of people who are like them. This is known as the similarity bias.

Therefore, when you flex your preferred communication style to complement that of the other person, that person will be more open to working with you to align on an agreement.

Flexing your style essentially means adjusting your approach and interpersonal behaviors for each individual so that they are more comfortable working with you, thus easing their anxieties and opening the door for an emotional connection.

ACED

There are four predominant communication styles (Figure 28.1). Labels for these styles shift from psychometric test to psychometric test and from training program to training program. Regardless of the labels, though, the style markers across the multiple theories of human behavior and innate communication preferences tend to converge on these four dominant styles: Analyzer, Consensus Builder, Energizer, and Director (ACED). ...