Effective communication is vital to the success of any organization. By clearly conveying ideas and strategies, a business can operate efficiently and promote innovation. A master’s degree in communication management can teach students to be communication leaders who drive employee satisfaction and business success. A deep understanding of communication methods includes appreciating how different people communicate. The first step in this understanding comes with identifying what type of communicator you are.
What Type of Communicator Are You: The 3 Types
How different people approach communication varies. There are three main types of communicators.
Communication Pioneer
A communication pioneer aims for innovation in their communication and the communicative practices of their organization. You may be a communication pioneer if you want to be a leader in developing and implementing both current and groundbreaking communication technologies and techniques. Pioneers want to improve the overall communication process with new methods and practices. They have the drive to experiment, recognize the faults and benefits of a process and correct those problems.
Streamlined Communication
A communication pioneer may seek to facilitate streamlined communication across an organization. For example, a communication pioneer may analyze the training program that their organization uses to help its new employees successfully integrate into the business. Through their analysis, this pioneer may recognize that the company’s knowledge could be easier for the new employees to access.
Communication Technology
Communication pioneers also help their organizations implement the latest communication technology. In a business landscape where remote work is becoming more common, pioneers can use technological innovation such as video chat, cloud storage and screen sharing to keep employees connected. These innovations can also apply to external communication strategies involving public relations or marketing.
Communication Environment
A communication pioneer’s work doesn’t end with technology. For instance, a pioneer may recognize the need to adjust the physical organization of the office to create better communication. They may notice that the current cubicle layout isn’t conducive to effective communication since the partitions isolate employees from one another. This communicator may suggest rearranging desks to make the office space more open and thereby create more opportunities for inter-employee communication and a better overall work environment.
Communication Veteran
A communication veteran combines experience with a drive to stay ahead of the competition to improve communication technology and techniques. Communication veterans may not be as new to the field as pioneers. You may be a veteran if you bring a wealth of well-established foundational communication principles and practices to your work. In addition to the tried and true, however, veterans seek to supplement their experience with updated techniques that allow them to stay competitive and to get ahead in organizations that may be stuck using outdated practices.
Comprehensive Communication Strategies
Within an organization, a communication veteran may analyze current communication practices and adjust them for better results. This may lead to them integrating new forms of communication with legacy forms to establish a comprehensive communication strategy that meets a broad range of employee needs. For this type of strategy to be fully effective, the communication veteran must learn how to adapt their communication strategy to include new forms. For instance, instead of using only email to communicate, a veteran may implement social intranet software or improve social media use.
Content-Driven Improvements
While veterans will often turn to technology for communication improvements, they may also use content to both improve communication within their organization and create external content that will give their business a competitive edge. They may encourage employees to create and publish high-quality content. This can deliver a wealth of benefits, such as improved employee engagement, increased awareness of company policies and goals and better company culture. It can provide businesses with a direct pathway to consumer or customer insights.
Communication Coach
A communication coach changes their organization by leading both employees and leadership to more effective and beneficial communication. While a communication pioneer and veteran can certainly be strong leaders within their organization, the central goal of a communication coach is to lead both by example and by positive influence.
Strong Relationships
Coaches may apply this leadership by creating a strong relationship of trust between employees and organizational leadership. In a culture of trust, conflicts can be more easily mitigated, collaboration is encouraged and employees become more engaged. One way communication coaches can build this level of trust is by encouraging an open-door policy that facilitates interaction between executives and employees.
Collaboration
More than anything, a communication coach will likely want to spend much of their time collaborating with employees. They will want to foster efficient professional relationships founded on strong communication. Coaches will recognize and establish an effective means of working with the different categories of communicators. As outlined by Leadership IQ’s Mark Murphy, these communication categories include:
- Analytical communicators, who look for data and facts and tend to use very precise language
- Intuitive communicators, who more often look at the big picture and may not be as concerned with fine details
- Functional communicators, who see things as a process and think in terms of the next steps
- Personal communicators, who are more concerned with building relationships and understanding others
How the Types of Communicators Differ
The positions you choose to pursue will likely depend on what type of communicator you are. A communication pioneer, for example, will want to push the limits of current communication practices and technologies, seeking to be innovative and groundbreaking in their organization.
Communication veterans, on the other hand, may already be confident in their communication skills and have considerable experience in the field but want to update their communication techniques to foster a competitive edge over other organizations. This not only involves developing mastery of communication through current channels such as social media, but also cultivating a deeper understanding of their target audience. Building this level of understanding can allow communication veterans to pursue positions where they can keep their organization ahead of the competition.
Communication coaches will want to develop the abilities necessary to lead teams toward best practices. This requires detailed knowledge of both current and past research methods, communication theory and effective leadership and mentorship skills. It also requires core business competencies such as problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Why Pursue a Master of Communication Management
Regardless of what type of communicator you are, you can use your communication skills to help foster an environment of employee engagement and collaboration. USC’s online Master of Communication Management program can help any of the three main types of communicators succeed in a range of organizations. The program is designed to help you develop the knowledge and skills to create effective communication strategies, whatever your communication type.
Find out how USC can help you advance your career and make an impact.
Recommended Readings
Building a Communication Plan in 2021: Take These 4 Steps
Communication Management Plans and Tools
How to Effectively Communicate Business Strategy to Employees
Sources:
Entrepreneur, “How Technology Has Changed Business Communication”
Houston Chronicle, “The Effects of Physical Environment on Communication in the Workplace”
LeadershipIQ, Communication Styles Quiz and Assessment
LinkedIn, “New Content Marketing Strategy - Employee Engagement Helps Drive Customer Experience”
The TJB American Business Magazine, “The Major Benefits of Good Workplace Communication”