Communication Styles
Communication Styles in the Workplace
Sarah C. Henning
Brandman University
Running a company is tough business. Conflict is bound to happen regardless of the situation. 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 “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. 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, “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, “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,
Sarah C. Henning
Brandman University
Running a company is tough business. Conflict is bound to happen regardless of the situation. 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 “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. 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, “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, “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,
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