Course Highlights

This advanced communication styles training course for teams will:

  • Explain how styles evolve.
  • Provide guidance for working with people who have blended styles.
  • Suggest strategies for addressing styles under stress.
  • Give teams the essential questions they must ask to leverage their strengths and avoid misunderstandings and other common problems.

Course Overview

This interactive workshop builds on the content introduced in Surviving in The Communication Jungle®: Concrete Tactics for Improving Relationships with Others. The program explores style combinations, styles under stress, and important questions teams should ask to leverage each person’s gifts to the group and minimize conflicts that can naturally occur in a mixed-style team.

Note: Before scheduling this workshop, all or most participants should complete Surviving in The Communication Jungle®: Concrete Tactics for Improving Relationships with Others. We can schedule both on the same day to create a full-day program upon request.

Program Objectives

At this program’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

  • Explain how styles develop and evolve.
  • Identify style combinations and strategies for adapting to different style blends.
  • Employ tactics for managing emergency styles.
  • Recognize style-compatible environments for the different styles.
  • Apply strategies for working in environments not readily compatible with a style.
  • Ask their team essential questions for leveraging styles in a group.
  • Implement best practices for getting the most from understanding styles.

The following outline highlights some of the course’s key learning points. As part of your training program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of the participant materials prior to the session(s).

Workshop Outline

Clues from the Early Years in the Jungle: Going Back to the Nest

This program opens with a discussion about style formation and how styles look from an early age. Working individually and then in teams, participants will identify and share examples of how their styles manifested in childhood. From there, we will talk about style evolution and why some people retain the same preferences throughout their lives while others take drastic departures.

Style Blends: Adding a Little of This or That

This workshop segment moves beyond the four core styles and takes a deep dive into style combinations. Through a series of exercises, participants will discover what blended styles look like and how to adapt to someone who favors a mix.

Emergency Mode: Super Powers and Power Zappers

Excitement, fear, or other stress can prompt people to go into what’s known as their “emergency style.” While operating in this mode, their behavior varies from the typical day-to-day and can cause communication confusion or worse. In this part of the program, we will discuss what emergency styles look like, how to recognize them, and what to do when people exhibit signs of style duress.

A Fish in Water: The Environment’s Role

The right environment can amplify strengths and act as an energy source. Conversely, the wrong setting can negatively affect even the most resilient people. This course module explores the environment’s role in behavior and favorable conditions for various styles. Additionally, we will introduce coping strategies for adapting when the environment is less than optimal.

A Well-Oiled Machine: Working Better Together

When a team comes together, thoughtful questions can prevent future problems. This workshop segment focuses on team styles and questions all teams should ask themselves to understand their group and find the right style balance. For example, are there gaps in our team’s ability to make quick, assertive decisions without overlooking details? Are we addressing the need for both assertive goal-setting and empathetic listening within our team? And more.

1,2,3 Action: Practical Guidelines for Moving Forward

The workshop concludes with practical guidelines and action planning for teams that want to leverage their knowledge of communication styles fully.

By the end of this interactive program, participants should have a deeper understanding of style preferences and additional tools they can apply immediately.