1. NCMA WEC: 3-1-12 Patricia D. Robinson
BEST
Communication Styles
NCMA WEC:
Patricia D. Robinson
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

2. BEST Communication Style Profile
We each have general personality patterns
These patterns are expressed in our interactions with others
Understanding these patterns in ourselves and others can help us improve communications, work relationships, and teamwork
BEST Communications Style Workshop
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

3. BEST Communication Style Workshop
AGENDA:
Overview 12:45 – 12:55
Table Team Activity 12:55 – 1:15
BEST Communication Styles Model 1:15 – 1:30
Flexing Your Style 1:30 – 1:45
Team Profiles / Dynamics 1:45 – 2:00
Debrief 2:00 – 2:15
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

4. Communications Activity
Description: Table teams work together to build a block structure to their customer’s exact specifications:
Roles:
Keep track of communication on the team:
What works well?
What do you find frustrating?
Customer
BD/PM; Eng; Ops/Manuf
Build a structure with your blocks
Use cardboard to hide your structure
DO NOT show or draw a picture of structure
DO NOT volunteer information
You decide if structure meets specifications
Work with your team to build structure to customer’s exact specifications
15 min
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

5. Blocks Activity - Debrief
Break into teams, based on your highest scoring letter on your BEST Profile / Assessment:
Discuss:
What aspects of the team’s communication worked well for you?
What aspects did you find frustrating?
Choose a spokesperson from your table B E S T
Break the class into groups based on their preferred Communications Style:
Bold
Expressive
Sympathetic
Technical
5 min
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

6. BEST Preferences B old E xpressive S ympathetic T echnical
Challenges
Freedom
Power
Quick Results
Authority
Action
Change
Popularity
Influence
Acceptance
To be around People
To Persuade
E xpressive
Adjustment Time
Stability
Appreciation
Schedule
S ympathetic
T echnical
Organization
Rules
Standards
Explanations
Little Risk
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

7. Understanding the BEST Model
Dimensions of Communications:
Reflecting Emotions = Expressiveness
Influencing Others = Dominance
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

8. Reflecting Emotions Feelers Thinkers Expressiveness Low High
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

9. Influencing Others Indirect Direct Dominance Low High
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

10. BEST Communication Styles
BOLD
EXPRESSIVE
(Direct Thinker)
(Direct Feeler)
Indirect Direct
TECHNICAL
SYMPATHETIC
(Indirect Thinker)
(Indirect Feeler)
Thinker Feeler
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

11. BEST Communication Styles Summary
BOLD
EXPRESSIVE
What:
Results
Objectives
Achieving
Doing
How:
Strategies
Organization
Facts
Action
Process
TECHNICAL
SYMPATHETIC
Why:
Concepts
Theories
Innovation
Ideas
Who:
Communication
Relationships
Teamwork
People
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

12. Style Descriptors
B old is stimulated by the challenge of new adventure.
E xpressive thrives on being around others and persuading them.
S ympathetic is patient, dependable, loyal, a good listener.
T echnical is controlled, cautious, precise, rule-oriented.
Each type has needs and preferences which are the keys
to understanding, communicating with and motivating them.
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

13. Adjusting to Other Comms Styles
Need to adjust your style to others to improve communications
Which styles do you think tend to clash most?
BOLD
EXPRESSIVE
Indirect Direct
TECHNICAL
SYMPATHETIC
Thinker Feeler
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

14. Activity 2: Adjusting to Other Comms Styles
In your assigned groups, come up with the Top 5 things you should do to FLEX to the opposing communication style:
Bold vs. Sympathetic
Technical vs. Expressive
BOLD
TECHNICAL
EXPRESSIVE
S SYMPATHETIC
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

15. Activity 3: Practice Flexing Your Style
Now choose someone from your group to represent your preferred Communications Style. He/she will participate in a role play:
Bold with Sympathetic
Technical with Expressive
Objective:
Based on what you know about your colleague’s preferred communication style, convince him/her to forfeit their vacation and work on your program
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

16. Activity 3: Practice Flexing Your Style
Scenario:
You need the help of a colleague to meet a critical program deadline with a key customer who has been complaining about slow progress & cost overruns.
Your colleague -- not on this program team -- has unique customer and technical knowledge that would enable the program team to:
meet deadline ahead of schedule
realize significant cost savings
create good will with the customer
Your colleague is scheduled to take a vacation with several friends/family members that has been planned for months:
there won’t be another opportunity to take the vacation again until next year and several family members will not be available at that time.
tickets are non-refundable.
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

17. Activity 3: Practice Flexing Your Style
Debrief
What did you find challenging about flexing to the other person’s style?
How well did each flex to the other person’s preferred style?
Compare to communication preferences below:
B old
Preferences:
Limitations:
Challenges
Freedom
Power
Quick Results
Authority
Action
Change
Learn to Listen
Attend to Details
Be Aware of Others
Follow
Popularity
Influence
Acceptance
To be around People
To Persuade
Manage Time
Be Objective
Set Goals
Control Talking
E xpressive
Adjustment Time
Stability
Appreciation
Schedule
Set Deadlines
Use Lead Time
Get Attention
Be Understood
S ympathetic
T echnical
Organization
Rules
Standards
Explanations
Little Risk
Make Quicker Decisions
Use More Power
Take Quicker Action
Take Risks
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

18. Adjusting to Other Styles - Tips
BOLD (Driver / Action)
Focus on the result first; state the conclusion at the outset.
State your best recommendation; do not offer many alternatives.
Be as brief as possible.
Emphasize the practicality of your ideas.
Use visual aids.
TECHNICAL (Analytical / Idea)
Allow enough time for discussion.
Do not get impatient when he or she goes off on tangents.
Try to relate the discussed topic to a broader concept or idea
Stress uniqueness of idea or topic.
Emphasize future value or relate the impact of the idea to the future.
If writing, try to stress key concepts that underlie your recommendation at beginning Start with an overall statement and work toward specifics.
EXPRESSIVE (Expresser / Process)
Be precise; state the facts.
Organize your discussion in a logical order:
Background
Present situation
Outcome
Break down your recommendations.
Include options/alternatives w/ pros & cons.
Do not rush a process-oriented person.
Outline your proposal.
SYMPATHETIC (Relator / People)
Allow for small talk; do not start the discussion right away.
Stress the relationship between your proposal and the people concerned.
Show how the idea worked well in the past.
Indicate support from well-respected people.
Use an informal writing style.
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

19. Team Communications Dynamics
Team dynamics, relationships and results are determined primarily by the personality types/ communication styles of team members.
We will Discuss:
Importance of team’s composition
How dynamics of a team when one comm. style is over-represented
How tasks may dictate the team profile that will be most effective
How individuals can make a greater contribution to the team
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

20. Building Teams in Relationship to Tasks
BOLD
Strengths:
Works well in changing environ.
Uses practical approaches
Finds creative, innovative solutions
Can change direction quickly
Will make quick bottom line decisions
Weaknesses:
May overlook important details
Need others to implement decisions
Won’t take into account impact on others
Proposed solutions may be too risky
EXPRESSIVE
Works well together
Works with enthusiasm
Considers others in solutions and plans
Can persuade others to their point of view
Will consider values
May take too much time to reach a decision
Won’t consider details
May not consider important factors due to emotions
Won’t make unpopular decision
TECHNICAL
Works well from logic and facts
Will be objective
Will be just/fair
Will develop step-by-step plan
Will pay attention to detail
May consider people in solutions
May be too analytically oriented
Won’t look at the big picture
May be too rigid and rule-oriented
SYMPATHETIC
Will find standard or traditional solutions
Works steadily and realistically
Will be patient with routine
Will be good with preplanned assignments
Will be accommodating to feelings of others
Won’t consider new ways
Will be slow to reach difficult decisions
May need a lot of structure before beginning
May reach decisions in favor of status-quo & other’s feelings
Indirect Direct
Thinker Feeler
Well Rounded/Mixed
Strengths:
Outperforms other teams in solving production problems
Outperforms other teams in general tasks
Considers more solutions, thus reaching a better decision
Considers both tasks & people
Weaknesses:
May have more team conflict
May take longer to reach decision
May have comms. problems
Bold & Expressive may ignore, stifle or shut out Sympathetic & Technical
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

21. Specific Tasks by Team Personality Profile
BOLD
Manage a short-term project
Identify competitive strategies
Identify changes needed in an org.
Plan crisis management
Find a creative solution to a problem
EXPRESSIVE
Plan a social or company event
Conduct employee motivation program
Plan a presentation
Plan sales approaches
Make plans for training employees
TECHNICAL
Write routine procedures
Construct a work schedule
Identify ways to stabilize the environment
Plan for counseling employees
Write personnel policies
SYMPATHETIC
Write reports
Edit reports
Write procedures
Identify details in implementation plans
Review details in complex projects
Direct Indirect
Thinker Feeler
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

22. Wrap Up
What will you do differently to communicate more effectively with others?
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

23. BEST Preferences & Limitations
B old
Preferences:
Limitations:
Challenges
Freedom
Power
Quick Results
Authority
Action
Change
Learn to Listen
Attend to Details
Be Aware of Others
Follow
Popularity
Influence
Acceptance
To be around People
To Persuade
Manage Time
Be Objective
Set Goals
Control Talking
E xpressive
Adjustment Time
Stability
Appreciation
Schedule
Set Deadlines
Use Lead Time
Get Attention
Be Understood
S ympathetic
T echnical
Organization
Rules
Standards
Explanations
Little Risk
Make Quicker Decisions
Use More Power
Take Quicker Action
Take Risks
BEST Communications Styles Workshop

24. BEST Communications Styles Guide
FACTORS:
  BOLD
(Driver/Action)
EXPRESSIVE (Expresser/Process)
  SYMPATHETIC (Relator/People)
TECHNICAL
(Analytical/Ideas)
How to Recognize:
They like their own way; decisive & strong viewpoints.
They get excited.
They like positive attention, to be helpful & regarded warmly.
They seek a lot of data, ask many questions, behave methodically & systematically.
Tends to Ask:
What (the results oriented question.)
Who (the personal dominant question)
Why (the personal non-goal question.)
How (the technical analytical question.)
What They Dislike:
Someone wasting their time trying to decide for them.
Boring explanations/ wasting time with too many facts.
Rejection, treated impersonally, uncaring & unfeeling attitudes.
making an error, being unprepared, spontaneity.
Reacts to Pressure and Tension By:
Taking charge taking more control.
"Selling" their ideas or argumentative.
Becoming silent, withdraws/introspective
Seeking more data & information.
Best way to Deal With:
Let them be in charge.
Get excited w/them. Show emotion.
Be supportive; show you care.
Provide lots of data & information.
Likes To Be Measured By:
Results, Goal-oriented.
Applause, feedback, recognition.
Friends, close relationships.
Activity & busyness that leads to results.
Must Be Allowed To:
Get into a competitive situation. Likes to win.
Get ahead quickly.  Likes challenges.
Relax, feel, care, know you care.
make decisions at own pace, not cornered or pressured.
Will Improve With:
A position that requires cooperation with others.
Recognition & some structure with which to reach the goal.
A structure of goals & methods for achieving each goal.
Interpersonal and communication skills.
Likes to Save:
Time. They like to be efficient, get things done now.
Effort. They rely heavily on hunches, intuition, feelings.
Relationships. Friendship means a lot to them.
Face. They hate to make an error, be wrong or get caught w/out enough info
For Best Results:
Allow them freedom to do things their way.
Inspire them to bigger & better accomplishments.
Care & provide detail, specific plans&activities to be accomplished.
Structure a framework or "track" to follow.
BEST Communications Styles Workshop