Flexing Your Social Style

Flexing your Social Style to be more
Effective
Understanding and adapting social styles to become a
better communicator
A Bit About Ourselves
Robyn Backhouse Jenn Rivas

Scrum Master and Agile Principal Technical
Coach Programme Manager
The Purpose
To improve our communication.
● Communication is hard!
● Communication is essential!
● Misinterpretation happens all
the time
● Communication becomes a
comfortable habit.
● Words are only 7% !!
Workshop Goals
● To identify the key
behaviours of the 4
Social Styles
● To help you understand

your style : the good, the
bad and the ugly.
● Be able to recognise
people using other styles
and how you can adapt
to communicate
successfully with them
The Breakdown
15 Min What are Social Styles?
Exercise #1: What Social Style am I? Identifying the ways you like &
15 Min
don’t like to be communicated with
5 Min Perceptions and Misunderstandings
Exercise #2: Changing your communication style to make others feel

10 Min
comfortable
10 Min Final Thoughts

What is Social Style?
● A Behaviour Model Tool and
Framework
● 4 Styles Based on Observable
Behavior not Feelings or Culture
● Based on 2 dimensions
Assertiveness & Responsiveness
● No Style is better than the other and
you can have more than 1
The 4 Social Low Responsive
“Task Focused”
Styles
(Emotions)
ANALYTICAL DRIVER
Quality Results
“Ask” Influence Assertiveness (Influence) “Tell” Influence
Responsiveness
AMIABLE EXPRESSIVE
Teamwork Recognition
High Responsive
“People Focused”
Amiable - Support Specialists
Process information
People and
with others
team oriented
Friendly and
Listens
open
Build strong trusting
Interactive relationships
problem solving
Good Warm, cooperative,

counselling skills attentive
Driver - Control Specialists
Result Oriented Concise and
Decisive
Cool, Calm
Challenge Taker
and Collected
Sense of Self Motivator

Responsibility
Pragmatic Confident and

and Efficient Competitive
Analytical - Technical Specialists
Informed Decision Detail oriented,
Making deliberate and well
organised
Data Driven - facts
Reserved
and statistics
Systematic Objective
Prefer task-oriented, Let others take the

intellectual work social initiative
Expressive - Social Specialists
Visionary Creative and
Leader Inspirational
Innovative Enthusiastic and
Problem Solver Energetic
Outgoing and Charming and
Spontaneous Persuasive
Open and Trusting Motivational
Knowing your Style
Analytical Driver
Task
● Focus on facts and logic
● Collect large amounts of data ● Focus on results
(Emotions)
to prove theory ● Take charge
● Act when payoff is clear ● Make quick decisions
● Careful not to commit too ● Likes challenges
quickly
Ask Assertiveness (Influence) Tell
Responsiveness
● Cooperate to gain agreement
● Create excitement and
● Provide support
involvement
● Communicate trust and
● Share ideas, dreams,
confidence
enthusiasm
● Good counselling and
● Motivate, inspire, persuade
People
listening skills
Amiable Expressive
Exercise - Knowing Your Style
In your style groups, write down how you
would like people to communicate with
you
Still in your style groups, write the ways

you would NOT want people to
communicate with you
Share with the larger group

Now you Know
• Your Social Style
• The 3 other Social Styles
• You understand how all the

styles like, and don’t like, to be
communicated with
The Flipside - negative perceptions
Analytical Driver
● Critical ● Pushy I don’t have an
● Indecisive
attitude problem..
● Severe
● Stuffy ● Tough
● Picky ● Dominating You have a
● Judgemental
perception problem!
● Intimidating
Amiable Expressive
● Conforming ● Manipulative
● Unsure ● Undisciplined
● Pliable ● Egotistical
● Dependent ● Excitable
● Indecisive ● Superficial
Exercise - Making others feel Comfortable
Think of the Social style

diagonally opposite you on the
diagram
How can you adjust your

communication style to make
that person feel more
comfortable in communicating
with you?
In the Comfort Zone
People respond optimally when communicated to in a
style which most closely matches their own.
1. Observe
2. Reflect
3. Determine
4. Adjust
This leads to a Win-Win scenario

• Builds Trust, Rapport & Reciprocity
• More Effective, Empathy, Understanding
• Successful Projects
Final thoughts on Styles
So which is the best Social Style?
YOURS!!!
• Don’t try to change who you are
• Make small adjustments in your own behaviour
• Try to identify the social style of others and provide
them what they need.
Leads to better relationships, happier workplace and happier

you!
Further reading
Thank you for attending.
Questions?

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What are the four social styles discussed in the document?

What are the four social styles discussed in the document?

What are some ways to adjust your communication style to make others feel more comfortable?

What are some ways to adjust your communication style to make others feel more comfortable?

Flexing your Social Style to be more

Robyn Backhouse Jenn Rivas

● To help you understand

5 Min Perceptions and Misunderstandings

Exercise #2: Changing your communication style to make others feel

10 Min Final Thoughts

“Ask” Influence Assertiveness (Influence) “Tell” Influence

Good Warm, cooperative,

Sense of Self Motivator

Pragmatic Confident and

Prefer task-oriented, Let others take the

Still in your style groups, write the ways

Share with the larger group

• The 3 other Social Styles

• You understand how all the

Think of the Social style

How can you adjust your

This leads to a Win-Win scenario

Leads to better relationships, happier workplace and happier

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