Communication Styles in the Workplace: Navigating Team Dynamics

Irrespective of the type of organization you work in, the ability to communicate effectively in a workplace environment is very important. Strong internal communication is one of the most essential components of a workplace, and it can play a critical role in seamless team collaboration and delegation of work to others in a team. 

Additionally, data indicates that almost 60% of companies do not have efficient internal communication plans in place to improve employee engagement. Understanding the many kinds of communication styles and the reasons behind people’s communication preferences is crucial for this reason.

This article will explore the four most prevalent communication styles used in the workplace, as well as how to spot them and how to deal with team members who use them.

Communication Styles: A Brief

In today’s workplace, the ability to communicate effortlessly is one of the most important skills. Over 70% of employers wish to hire workers with excellent communication skills. This is also an obvious requirement as most workers spend a major chunk (20 hours per week) of their productive hours at the workplace.

Further, as an increasing number of organizations today shift towards remote and hybrid work environments, the requirement for individuals with good communication styles is on a consistent rise. 

A person’s communication style plays a key role in successfully navigating workplace team dynamics. Therefore, it is important to know how to recognize each style of communication and effectively communicate with these people to ensure higher team productivity. 

Communication Styles in the Workplace: Different Types to Explore

Your interactions with others at work are the main indicator of your effective communication style, which also influences how you speak, behave, and respond in many contexts.

Below are the four main types of communication styles in the workplace:

1. Passive Style of Communication

Communicators with passive communication styles are typically quiet and don’t seek attention. They may remain indifferent during team debates and dislike asserting themselves or taking a strong stance. Since they don’t share their needs or express their feelings easily, it can be difficult to assess if they are uncomfortable or need help with an important project.

An example of a passive communication style is when a team member, although not in agreement with others, is unable to speak up and ends up feeling disengaged, frustrated, and undervalued.

Few of the key characteristics of a passive style of communication in the workplace include:

• Avoidance of conflict: Passive communicators do everything to avoid any kind of conflicts or disagreements. Most of the time, they prefer to be quiet and not  give others feedback or tackle their issues directly.
• Reluctant to speak up: People with a passive workplace communication style are often reluctant or hesitant to express their thoughts, ideas, needs, and opinions. Instead of speaking up, they just allow others to take the lead in most situations.
• Indirect communication: Passive communicators often use indirect language or non-verbal cues to convey their ideas or thoughts, which can lead to misunderstandings and confusion.

The main drawback of passive communication is that it can lead to a range of issues, including low self-esteem, built-up resentment, and a lack of personal fulfillment. When employees constantly ignore their own needs, they may feel unappreciated and powerless.

Suppose you have a passive style of communication. In that case, some communication strategies you can use to be more assertive and navigate team dynamics better include defining goals clearly, learning/ practicing assertive language during communication, and setting firm boundaries.

Further, several courses are available to build assertiveness, which you can enroll in to gain the confidence to convey your thoughts confidently. 

2. Aggressive Style of Communication

An individual with an aggressive communication style is quite confident in sharing their ideas or expressing their views, sometimes to the point where they might ignore their coworkers’ opinions or interject their ideas during a work conversation.

In a typical workplace, this kind of aggressive behavior can create an environment of distress among team members.

Simply put, aggressive communicators constantly prioritize their own demands and viewpoints over those of others, frequently ignoring their sentiments and viewpoints. This approach can frequently result in coworker disputes and strained relationships.

Below are some of the main highlights that define an aggressive communication style in the workplace:

• Dominating stance: Individuals who have an aggressive style of communication often try to dominate and control conversations in the workplace. They have the habit of interrupting others, raising their voice often, or using negative body language to assert their dominance.
• Disregard for set boundaries: Aggressive communicators find it hard to respect boundaries set by others for team communication which can be inappropriate and uncomfortable.
• Bluntness: Another characteristic of aggressive communicators is that they are mostly blunt to the limit of being disrespectful in their communication.

The disadvantage of aggressive communication is that while it may help you achieve short-term goals, it often results in long-term damage to working relationships. It can also lead to decreased team morale, lack of trust, and increased stress among workers.

If you have an aggressive style of employee communication, some of the strategies to help you become more respectful and polite in the workplace include choosing your words carefully, identifying your triggers, and practicing empathy at the workplace. Apart from this, you can also enroll in various anger management or communication skills courses to help you moderate the situations leading to such outbursts.

3. Passive-Aggressive Style of Communication

People with this style manage to express their dislike of something powerfully without saying much. They often do this by using subtle strategies or negative body language to overpower a speaker. 

The communicators with this style are passive-aggressive because they subtly show their disagreement but can undercut a speaker without saying much.

Some of the main characteristics of this communication style include-

• Indirect communication: People with this style of communication often indulge in indirect or poor communication instead of addressing issues directly. They use veiled or subtle indirect language that sounds ambiguous and allows them to deny their words later on.
• Covert criticism: Passive-aggressive communicators use sarcasm, eye-rolls, or other similar disrespectful gestures to mock or criticize other people’s ideas or actions indirectly.
• Silent treatment: Instead of communicating clearly and directly, individuals with this style of communication prefer being quiet or withholding important information to show their displeasure about a situation

This type of individual can negatively affect the dynamics, as they are capable of undermining a conversation without contributing anything impactful.

If you are a passive-aggressive communicator, you can use strategies like reflecting on your communication style, being mindful of tone, or seeking constructive outlets to be more assertive in workplace communications.

4. Assertive Style of Communication

This is one of the best and preferred forms of internal communication styles in a workplace. Individuals with this style of communication are ready to express their ideas and opinions honestly but in an appropriate and timely fashion.

What differentiates assertive communicators from others is that they do not try hard to take the limelight or subvert an ongoing meeting while also listening and answering their coworkers politely.

Among some of the key highlights of an assertive workplace communication style include-

• Straightforward attitude: Assertive communicators like to share and express their ideas clearly using straightforward language. The highlight of such communicators is that they often direct language and know how to set boundaries.
• Respect: These are the communicators who respect the opinions and feelings of other people like their own. They acknowledge and respect differences in viewpoints and always seek common ground.
• High confidence: People who use an assertive internal communication strategy speak with high confidence, conviction, and self-assurance.

However, this type of communicator in a workplace setting isn’t always perfect and can sometimes resort to passive or aggressive behavior.

If you have an assertive, inclusive communication style, some strategies that can help you improve your communication skills further include being highly adaptable, keeping an open mind, and being more patient with coworkers. Overall, this is an excellent communication style to adopt in most workplace situations. 

5. Empathetic Style of Communication

The empathetic communication style focuses on understanding and caring about others’ feelings and points of view. People with this style listen carefully, show kindness, and aim to build positive relationships.

Empathetic communicators are great at creating a supportive workplace and are often approached for advice or help during conflicts. Their ability to connect emotionally helps strengthen trust and teamwork.

Key traits of empathetic communicators include:

• Active listening: They truly pay attention, ask questions, and confirm they understand what others mean.
• Non-judgmental: They avoid jumping to conclusions and try to see things from others’ perspectives.
• Emotional support: They acknowledge how others feel, helping them feel valued and heard.

This style helps build strong teams, reduce conflict, and create a friendly workplace. However, focusing too much on emotions can sometimes make it harder to address problems directly or make tough decisions.

If you want to develop an empathetic communication style, practice listening carefully, being mindful of others’ emotions, and showing genuine interest in their experiences. Training in emotional intelligence can also help you improve these skills.

What Is the Best Style of Communication in the Workplace?

There’s no right or wrong choice here, as each communication style has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

However, the assertive style of communication is best suited for employees in the workplace. Assertive communication at the workplace involves stating your opinions, views, and needs clearly and directly while respecting others.

Being assertive allows employees to ensure that their views and perspectives are clearly communicated to colleagues and team members without dismissing other people’s thoughts or opinions.

Assertive communicators are clear, confident, and respectful in their conversations, leading to a more productive work environment.

Final Words

Exploring employee communication strategies and styles at the workplace can help build a more cohesive team, which in turn can help create a more productive and positive work environment.

By developing a thorough understanding of the above-mentioned communication styles, you will not only promote effective communication but also ensure that you can successfully navigate workplace team dynamics.

Tools like The EMPLOYEE App can offer additional support to boost team communication by offering various features such as collaboration, real-time updates, information sharing, and company-wide notifications.

Request a demo today to learn more!

FAQs

What are the various types of communication in the workplace? 

Different types of communication at a workplace include verbal, nonverbal, formal, informal, written, and visual. Each plays a key role in how we express ideas and work with others in different settings.

What is the importance of communication in the workplace?

Communication is immense in any workplace. Apart from fostering trust, it also helps contribute to employee commitment, leading to smooth operation and higher productivity.

What is the difference between direct and indirect styles of communication?

Direct internal communication involves a clear and transparent expression of ideas/thoughts where the communicator says exactly what they mean. In indirect communication, on the contrary, the communicator depends more on contextual and non-verbal cues. 

How to work with a passive-aggressive communicator effectively? 

To interact with a passive-aggressive communicator, it is important to tackle the issues directly but tactfully. Make sure to encourage open communication, dialogue, problem-solving, and clear expectations. 

Are the workplace communication styles exclusive?

No. While the above-mentioned are the four major types of communication styles in the workplace, most people combine two or more of these into their own personal style. For instance, to adopt an assertive communication style, an employee can practice direct, concise communication.

Which communication style is considered best for the workplace?

In general, the best communication style for the workplace is assertive. This is mainly because it’s direct without being overly aggressive.

However, this can vary from workplace to workplace and between different people as well, especially if these people or employees are at different levels of the organization.