How to Flex Communications Styles to Build Trust

Many people in corporate life will have completed assessments of workplace personality and probably have some idea of where they feel most comfortable in these characterisations. But how can leaders successfully apply these snapshots of complex, evolving individuals to build breakthrough teams? One approach is to focus on the communications styles and preferences of individuals as a way of more effectively dialling into their motivations, values and commitments. At Achieve Breakthrough we utilise the ICS-Connect tool to highlight the interpersonal connecting styles of team members. It provides an accessible way for leaders to interpret, discuss and better align the leadership language they use with their teams.

Leadership is Language

Leadership is language – what you say and how you choose to say it defines the performance of the team. Dialling into the preferred communications styles of individuals can help build trust fast. This is not about mimicking or subverting communications styles – it is understanding the impact of your own style and being aware of the communications preferences of others.

Leadership is language – what you say and how you choose to say it defines the performance of the team. Dialling into the preferred communications styles of individuals can help build trust fast. This is not about mimicking or subverting communications styles – it is understanding the impact of your own style and being aware of the communications preferences of others.

For example, in the ICS-Connect terminology ‘red energy’ suggests a preference for bold, assertive communications, whilst ‘yellow energy’ favours creativity and ‘fun’. ‘Green energy’ is aligned to collaboration and more values-driven communications, whilst ‘blue energy’ is analytical and methodical in style.  Each of these lenses highlights a communications stye preference for the individual. Although people seldom sit entirely under a single lens, naturally humans are more open to listening to, collaborating with and granting trust to those that communicate in similar ways. But it is also vital that teams balance these energies. A team full of red energy for example might charge off in pursuit of a bold ambition, but miss critical details, leave alternative routes unexplored and find it hard to collaborate with others that say a team made up of more diverse communication preferences. 

Understand your own style

The first step for leaders is to understand their own style – including the potential blindspots or unfavourable tendencies it includes. For example, many (but certainly not all) senior leaders that are high on red energy – preferring definitive statements, action orientation and boldness. But these attributes can also come across as overly aggressive, competitive, controlling and blunt to others. Not all leaders are red-energy types and every colour-energy has positive and negative aspects.

Understanding your own communication preferences helps you to play to your strengths and to be authentic in the language and the tone of your leadership language. Leaders must also watch out for how their energy changes under stress. Communications style can flip in these situations so, for example, the powerful cheerfulness of yellow energy can flip under stress to become cold and detached.  Being alive to the potential negative impacts of your communications especially under stress will help avoid unnecessary setbacks.

Appreciate the preferences of others

Leaders who spend time listening to their teams and uncovering their individual communications styles stand a better chance of building rapport with each member. Becoming aware of their preferences using tools like ICS-Connect can provide new perspectives that can short-cut the trust granting process. Leaders should use these insights to flex their own communications styles to engage and get the best from the people they lead. Awareness that someone with high green energy needs a personal connection and values-based conversation, or that blues want time to examine the detail of an argument provides the foundation for fuller engagement.

Create Diversity

As in so many other areas, celebrating this diversity will only benefit the whole team. Each energy is necessary for breakthrough performance. Without the green energy focus on values and well-being teams can burn out, without yellow’s creativity opportunities might be overlooked, without blue’s analysis efforts can be misdirected and without red’s action orientation deadlines and goals might slip. Allowing everyone to combine the sweet spots of their preferred style, whilst simultaneously opening each of them to a wide experience of communication styles not only delivers better performance but supports personal growth and development for all.

Understanding the interpersonal communications preferences of those around you helps leaders talk to the little voices within each of their team members in ways that resonate. Flexing to tune into these preferences, whilst maintaining their own authentic styles, helps to build trust and engagement. Celebrating and harnessing all the diverse communications styles across a team is the foundation for sustainable, breakthrough results. Effective communication is the root of great leadership, taking time to investigate different communications styles can super-charge your own communications effectiveness.