Name



Name: _____________________________________

Date: _____________________________________

COMMUNICATION STYLES INVENTORY

Instructions

There are no right or wrong answers to this questionnaire. The survey will enable you to describe your own personal attitudes and approaches to people and things. It will help you to identify your own "communication style" in relating to others.

Following each of the 20 statements below are four possible descriptive endings (A, B, C or D). Arrange these alternatives in the order in which they most accurately describe you by writing a 1, 2, 3, or 4 alongside each alternative. For the alternative you feel is most characteristic of you, write a 1, for the alternative second most characteristic, write a 2, and so on, until you have ranked all four alternatives.

1. I get the most enjoyment out of situations which involve:

A. _______ Exploring new and innovative ideas, concepts, principles, and theories.

A.

B. _______ Contacts with others where I will have an opportunity to examine and understand

the underlying emotions, feelings, interactions, and behavior of people.

C. _______ The use of logic, reason, and systematic inquiry in an orderly process of problem definition, analysis, and solution.

D. _______ The utilization of energy and resources to achieve goals where I will receive prompt and tangible feedback on the results of my efforts.

2. I feel most satisfied with myself when I:

A. _______ Accomplish a difficult task by taking a very logical and methodical approach.

B. ______ Accomplish more than I thought I could.

C. ______ Truly understand how others feel and am able to lend them a helping hand.

D. ______ Create a new or original approach, method, or process.

3. Whenever I exchange thoughts and ideas (orally and/or in writing) with others, I try to:

A. _______ Convey the broad overall picture and point out the new or novel aspects of the situation.

B. _______ Provide an orderly sequence of information and stress the source and validity of the data I am providing.

C. _______ Make frequent reference to our shared values, mutual goals, and common experiences.

D. _______ Focus sharply only on those items which are relevant at the particular time, and on whatever action steps may be required.

Communication Styles

4. When I am about to take action on a matter, I tend to be most concerned about:

A. ______ The chances of success and the immediate and tangible payoff there will be for the time and effort I have expended on it.

B. ______ Whether or not it will represent an important "breakthrough" in terms of advanced knowledge and/or new application of existing knowledge.

C. ______ Whether or not sufficient data has been assembled and properly analyzed to cover all aspects of the situation.

D. ______ The impact it may have on others and the degree to which they can become involved in it with me.

5. Whenever I meet new people on a social basis, I am most apt to react to them favorably if they appear to be:

A. ______ Idealistic, intellectual and/or challenging in their thinking and viewpoints.

B. ______ Genuinely warm, understanding, and able to engage in "small talk" with me.

C. ______ Down-to-earth, practical, and to the point.

D. ______ Reflective, analytical, and orderly in their thinking.

6. When working on a task, I tend to place the greatest emphasis on:

A. ______ Making certain that I am consistent, systematic, and rational in whatever approach I take.

B. ______ The attainment of the immediate end point by whatever means or methods that make the

most sense at the time.

C. ______ The possible future impact in long-range ramifications of any approach I might take.

D. ______ Establishing values in the feelings or reactions other people might have to my approach.

7. In persuading others to accept my point of view, I try to:

A. ______ Listen carefully and observe their reactions - "Put myself in their shoes" so I can begin to share their perceptions and see it the way they do.

B. ______ Present my thoughts in a calm, simple, and orderly fashion so they can see the logic of my viewpoint.

C. ______ Be concise - talk about reality - find those areas where we can agree and stress how accepting my viewpoint can benefit both of us.

D.______ Emphasize my breadth of knowledge on the subject; my intellectual grasp of key concepts involved; and my ability to see the broad picture.

Communication Styles

8. Other people who know me well probably see me as a person who is primarily:

A. ______ Empathetic, responsive, and rather stimulating to be with.

B. ______ Imaginative, intellectual, and somewhat complex at times.

C. ______ Objective, deliberate, and analytical.

D. ______ Energetic, pragmatic, and rather assertive.

9. When working with others, I enjoy the relationship most when they see me as:

A. ______ An analytical person who can see all sides of an issue or problem, who wants to add some objectivity and stability to the group.

B. ______ A practical and decisive person who gets things done without unnecessary deliberation, one who brings some drive and a sense of urgency to the group.

C. ______ An innovative person who can develop a new approach, or uncover things others may have missed. One who adds a creative and imaginative flair to the group.

D. ______ A loyal and helpful friend who is perceptive and sensitive to their needs and wants. One who brings some human insight and understanding to the group.

10. In working with others, I find that I tend to become most impatient when they:

A. ______ Spend too much time deliberating and will not act on a matter.

B. ______ Lack an awareness of the human aspects of the situation.

C. ______ Get hung up on old ways of doing things and are not willing to consider something new.

D. ______ Have not devoted sufficient time to making careful analysis of all the relevant factors in the matter.

11. When the situation becomes a bit tense, others may see me as being:

A. ______ Somewhat vague and unrealistic.

B. ______ Somewhat emotional and unpredictable.

C. ______ Somewhat impulsive and hard driving.

D. ______ Overly cautious and indecisive.

12. When others strongly disagree with me, I:

A. ______ Explore their strong feelings, listen carefully and emphasize the necessity to maintain our relationship.

B. ______ Try to stay detached, and give them additional examples or concepts to show them the full scope of the matter and how it all fits together.

(Continued on next page)

Communication Styles

C. ______ Try to remain calm and remove myself from the situation until I can assemble and analyze some more facts.

D. ______ Challenge them; push them harder for my point of view, and try to find ways to outmaneuver them.

13. If I feel that others are taking advantage of me, I usually:

A. ______ Try to remain flexible. Use some humor, and treat it lightly.

B. ______ Assert myself and argue for my rights.

C. ______ State what I believe is the fair way to operate, and my reasons for feeling that way.

D. ______ Use my imagination to develop new ways for us to operate.

14. When the pressure begins to mount, I tend to concentrate on:

A. ______ Getting additional facts to support my actions and my point of view.

B. ______ The immediate task at hand and getting it done as quickly as possible.

G. ______ The personalities of the people involved and how to handle them in the best manner.

D. ______ The value of my insight and perspective and the necessity of seeing the broad picture.

15. When everything seems to be going wrong, I am apt to:

A. ______ Become overly emotional and openly express my feelings to others.

B. ______ Become overly serious, analytical, and somewhat wordy when communicating with others.

C. ______ Seek some solitude and step back into my own world of thought.

D. ______ Jump in and take action before thinking it through.

16. In a final analysis, I feel it is best to:

A. ______ Be considered a "doer," accomplishing things even though my actions may leave some debris and hurt feelings at times.

B. ______ Be recognized as creator of some new and meaningful contributions, even though it may be some time before others really appreciate my efforts.

C. ______ Be seen as a consistent and reliable person who uses a logical, systematic approach that is supported by facts and figures, even though some people may feel I am too detail-minded at times.

D. ______ Be seen as a warm and considerate parson who develops good rapport, even though my approach may delay taking actions at times.

Communication Styles

17. Whenever I run into stiff opposition to my plans, I tend to:

A. _____ Review any holes or weaknesses in my plans and modify them accordingly.

B. _____ Analyze the feelings and emotions of others to try to determine their "real" objections.

C. _____ Rethink all aspects of the situation and develop a new set of plans.

D. _____ Concentrate on the one or two key objectives. Identify the major obstacles and find ways to overcome them.

18. I feel most unhappy with myself when I have:

A. _____ Caused others some unpleasantness and damaged our working relationship as a result.

B. _____ Delayed in taking action and then lost out on the opportunity to achieve an objective.

C. _____ Been content to use an old familiar method on a task and then found out that someone else has developed a new approach to it.

D. _____ Overlooked some relevant facts or have done a slipshod job in analyzing the data I have assembled.

19. When I am openly criticized by others, I usually:

A. ______ Try to ignore the details and come up with some new or different approaches that will interest them.

B. ______ Try to evaluate the validity of their charges and point out the errors in their thinking.

C. ______ Become a bit irritated. Try to counter their arguments, and then move on to more important matters.

D. ______ Try to cool them down and find some way to smooth over our differences.

20. There are occasions when if I am not careful, others might say that I:

A. ______ Am superficial and interested only in accomplishing my own goals and objectives.

B. ______ Lack emotion and feeling and have become quite rigid in my position.

C. ______ Am moody and somewhat manipulative as I relate to others.

D. ______ Am somewhat detached and express an air of intellectual superiority in my approach to others.

Name : __________________________ Date: ___________________________

SCORING PROFILE FOR COMMUNICATION STYLES INVENTORY

Instructions: Place your ranking (the point value of 1, 2, 3, or 4) alongside the alternatives (A, B, C, or D in the space below. Work across the sheet for each of the 20 statements. Then total the columns for each of the two sets of ten statements.

Communication Styles Inventory scoring information: The first 10 questions refer to 'normal' situations and the last 10 questions refer to 'stressful' situations. Your lowest score(s) in each section indicate your preferred style(s) of communication.

ANALYZER AFFILIATOR CONCEPTUALIZER ACTIVATOR

1C. ______ 1B. ______ 1A. ______ 1D. ______

2A. ______ 2C. ______ 2D. ______ 2B. ______

3B. ______ 3C. ______ 3A. ______ 3D. ______

4C. ______ 4D. ______ 4B. ______ 4A. ______

5D. ______ 5B. ______ 5A. ______ 5C. ______

6A. ______ 6D. ______ 6C. ______ 6B. ______

7B. ______ 7A. ______ 7D. ______ 7C. ______

8C. ______ 8A. ______ 8B. ______ 8D. ______

9A. ______ 9D. ______ 9C. ______ 9B. ______

10A. ______ 10B. ______ 10C. ______ 10D. ______

TOTAL _______ TOTAL _______ TOTAL _______ TOTAL _______

11D. ______ 11B. ______ 11A. ______ 11C. ______

12C. ______ 12A. ______ 12B. ______ 12D. ______

13C. ______ 13A. ______ 13D. ______ 13B. ______

14A. ______ 14C. ______ 14D. ______ 14B. ______

15B. ______ 15A. ______ 15C. ______ 15D. ______

16C. ______ 16D. ______ 16B. ______ 16A. ______

17A. ______ 17B. ______ 17C. ______ 17D. ______

18D. ______ 18A. ______ 18C. ______ 18B. ______

19B. ______ 19D. ______ 19A. ______ 19C. ______

20B. ______ 20C. ______ 20D. ______ 20A. ______

TOTAL _______ TOTAL _______ TOTAL _______ TOTAL _______

THE ORIENTATION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOUR COMMUNICATION STYLES

ANALYZER: Makes judgments about the relationship of things

Normally - facts, figures, data

Reason Prudent Steady

Analytical Structured Tenacious

Systematic Rational Avoids Emotionalism

Methodical Orderly Skeptical

Logical Thorough "Sleeps on" an idea

Deliberate Well-organized Consistent

Weighs alternatives Stabilized

Time orientation - past, present, future - linear

Problem solver - identifies, develops solutions, weighs carefully, and tests

At Times (under stressful situations)

Overly cautious Dogmatic Cold

Conservative Mechanical Unemotional

Indecisive Impersonal Overly Serious

Rigid Insecure Lacking vision

Unimaginative Too formal

Doesn't exploit opportunities - out of touch, or both

By the book (analysis, paralysis) stubborn

AFFILIATOR: Makes judgments by the value of things

Normally - personal relationships

Warm Good listener Loyal

Understanding Sensitive Patient

Feeling Perceptive Assists others

Human interactions Insightful Stimulating

Interpersonal contacts Adaptable Interprets behavior

Empathetic Traditional Assesses "climate"

Introspective Past practice Persuasive

Time orientation – past Spontaneous

Probes feeling of other supporters

At Times (under stressful situations)

Relies on "gut feel" Postpones Acts on faith

Acts on feelings Emotional Over personalizes

Defensive Intriguer Lacks documentation

over-reactive Subjective Easily swayed by others

Thin-skinned Impulsive Sentimental

Manipulative Moody Worrisome

Too concerned with politics

The Orientation and Characteristics of the Four Communication Styles

CONCEPTUALIZER - Concerned about the nature of things - in terms of their significance and meaning

Normally - Ideas, concepts, theories

Imaginative Original Visionary

Innovative Conceive Fresh and novel ideas

Creative Deep thinker World of his/her own

Broad Picture Questioning Intuitive

Idealistic World of possibilities

Time orientation - future Inventive

Doesn't take things for granted

Problem solver (identify, visualize, prioritize, link together, program)

Doesn't like to be hemmed in

At times (under stressful situations)

Avoids "nitty-gritty" Overly intellectual Practical

Doesn't document Indifferent to reality "Far out"

Impatient with details Egocentric Unrealistic

Overly abstract Hard to pin down Out of touch

Superior Ivory tower Too theoretical

Condescending Vague Untested

Detached Uncompromising "Blue Sky"

ACTIVATOR - Concerned about the nature of things - in terms of what is "actual" at the moment

Normally - results oriented

Action Assertive Growth oriented

Objective Down-to-earth Resourceful

Pragmatic Perfection-seeking Tireless

Concrete feedback Gets things done Drive Drive

Decisive Implements A “doer”

Direct Energetic Dynamic

Doesn't like "wheel-spinning" Hard-driving

Translates ideas into actions Impatient

Asks: “What – will it work?” Spirited

Takes action on a trial basis Urgency

Conveys a sense of mission Learns to experience

Time orientation - present

At times (under stressful situations)

Acts impulsively Crisis oriented Too simplistic

Drives others Premature in actions Short-sided

Opinionated Anti-intellectual Biased

Shoots from the hip Rides “roughshod” Ram-rodding

Doesn’t consider long range Arrogant

Acts before thinking

COMMUNICATION STYLE ANALYSIS

| | | | | |

| |Affiliator |Activator |Conceptualizer |Analyzer |

| | | | | |

| |Shared Info |Step by Step |Process Time |Process Time |

| |Relationships |Goal Orientation |Model Overview |Task Analysis |

|Interaction | | | | |

|Style |Intuition Emotions |Who will do what by when |Concepts |Data Collection |

| | | | | |

| |Social Behavior | |New Insights |Problem Solving |

| | Effects | | | |

| |Self Concept |Specific Outcomes |Models |Data Analysis |

| | | | | |

| |Affect |Assigned |Proof (theoretic) |Charts |

| | |Responsibilities | | |

|Content | | | | |

| |Peer Group | |Literature |Linear Form |

| |Effects | | | |

| |Cooperation |Application |Case Background |Facts |

| | | | | |

| |Teacher/Pupil |Timelines |Context |Logic |

| |Interaction | |Holistic | |

| |Sociograms |Time Studies |Models |Statistics |

| |Interaction |Timelines |Diagrams |Fact Sheets |

|Types of | | | | |

| |Types of Student |Action Plans |Visual Overviews |Task Breakdown |

|Data |Responses | | | |

| | | | | |

| | |To Do Lists | |Forcefield Analyses |

| | | | |Advantages/ |

| | | | |Disadvantages |

| | |Calendars | | |

| | | | | |

Communication Styles Continuum

Change

ACTIVATOR CONCEPTUALIZER

Product Process

ANALYZER AFFILIATOR

Stability

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