Communication Styles 19

at home with rules, regulations, and predictability. Unlike Doers,

Thinkers tend to be averse to risk. Thinkers might be described as
deliberative, proper, conservative, objective, and analytical; they
like to weigh all of the alternatives. In the worst cases, they are
subject to ‘‘paralysis through analysis.’’ They can also be verbose,
indecisive, overly serious, and rigid.
Thinkers can improve their communication with others by mov-
ing faster, showing less need for endless detail, being less rigid
about following policies, taking more risks, facing conflict, and
showing more personal concern for others.
If you’re not a Thinker, how can you negotiate with them? One
way is to demonstrate that you have thought through your position
or recommendation. Remember, these are people who respect
those who have done their homework. And because Thinkers are
logical and analytical, adopt the tools of their trade—use charts and
graphs to show the data and your line of reasoning. Allow time for
them to verify your facts and reasoning. Remember, Thinkers are
motivated by accuracy, logic, and data.
Thinkers tend to have the most conflict with Creators.

UNDERSTAND YOUR DOMINANT COMMUNICATION STYLE

There are no pure Creators, Thinkers, Listeners, or Doers. Each of
us is a mixture of communication styles. No one style is the ‘‘right’’
style, or better than any of the others, nor is anyone trapped in a
particular style. The important thing is to recognize your dominant
style, understand its negatives, and work on containing those nega-
tives. Also, understand the dominant styles of the people you deal
with, and learn to adapt to them. Adapting to the other party’s style
is a way of getting on the same wavelength with that person. And
once you’ve done that, your negotiations will go much more
smoothly.
Before we move on, take a moment to think about the people
with whom you currently do business on a regular basis—
coworkers, customers, and people with whom you are negotiating.

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