Communication is essential in a productive workplace. It facilitates teamwork, increases engagement, and boosts employee satisfaction. However, effective communication can be challenging. Things can get misunderstood even when speaking the same language.
That’s because people use different communication styles. Communication style describes the way we share information. Some people are straightforward, while others rely on subtlety to communicate their thoughts and feelings. Understanding these differences and nuances allows us to interpret and deliver messages accurately.
In this article, we’ll discuss direct vs indirect communication styles. We’ll also share tips to help direct and indirect communicators improve their communication skills.
Direct communication conveys the intended message explicitly and straightforwardly with no hidden contexts or meanings. In other words, you say what you mean and mean what you say. People with this style prefer clear and actionable information. They get to the point quickly and expect others to do the same.
There are two primary benefits of direct communication. First, it ensures clarity, leaving little room for ambiguity, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation. Second, it facilitates honesty and builds trust.
The drawback of direct communication is it can lead to conflict or confrontation, especially when the speaker delivers the message without tact. It is also considered impolite, depending on the cultural context.
Brevity and clarity are the primary characteristics of direct communication. The examples below illustrate how straightforwardly conveying messages eliminates ambiguity and misunderstanding.
As you can see, direct communication can lead to more transparent and productive interactions in the workplace.
Indirect communication doesn’t rely on words alone to convey messages. It uses nonverbal communication cues such as facial expressions and tone of voice to express the underlying meaning behind the words. Body language makes up 55% of the communication.
The listeners must read between the lines to interpret the intent. People who use this style tend to avoid conflict or offense.
The benefit of indirect communication is it allows people to navigate difficult conversations. It encourages social harmony by avoiding confrontation and is the appropriate speech form in some cultural contexts.
The disadvantage of the indirect style is the increased potential for miscommunication and frustration, especially when the listener doesn’t pick up nonverbal cues.
Subtlety and nuance are the hallmarks of indirect communication. The examples below illustrate how context and nonverbal cues give meaning to messages.
Indirect communication helps communicators navigate complex and dynamic interpersonal relationships, creating and maintaining a harmonious work environment.
We’ve touched on a few differences between direct and indirect communication. Now, we’ll dive into the specifics of these differences and the distinctions between the two types of communicators.
Direct communicators use concise and precise words to express their thoughts or feelings, prioritizing clarity. If they don’t want to do something, they simply say ‘no.’
Indirect communicators choose their words carefully to avoid giving offense. For instance, they don’t say ‘no’ to something they don’t want to do. Instead, they’re overly polite and say, ‘Unfortunately, I’m not able to do that at the time.’
Direct communication requires little interpretation. The intended meaning is in the words. When your supervisor says, ‘Come to my office,’ it’s clear what they want you to do.
Indirect communication leaves room for misinterpretation. If your boss says, ‘Come by my office when you have time,’ it’s unclear when the action should happen. The listeners must analyze context and nonverbal cues to interpret its meaning.
Direct communication is customary in low-context cultures like Western countries. These places are culturally diverse and emphasize individualism. The heterogeneity doesn’t allow for contextual assumptions. So, the speaker is responsible for conveying clear communication.
The indirect style of communication is customary in high-context cultures like Asian countries. These places are culturally homogeneous and emphasize community. The homogeneity enables people to understand shared expectations around behavior. The listener is responsible for correctly interpreting the message based on the speaker’s social status, facial expression, or body language.
Different communication styles are suited for various conflict situations to avoid unhealthy work culture. Direct communication is best when you require swift resolution. You’ll get help faster by asking for it than by stating your needs and hoping someone volunteers.
On the other hand, an indirect approach is best for managing emotionally charged disputes. Let’s say you’re an HR officer attempting to resolve a conflict between coworkers. Using indirect speech allows you to remain neutral while settling the problem.
Unlike face-to-face or phone interactions, nonverbal cues are impossible to recognize in written communication. You can come across as rude or overly authoritative if you’re a direct person. That’s why direct written communication is suitable for task-oriented or instructive messages. There’s little chance of offending someone when explaining how to do something.
Indirect communicators already use polite speech. So, the language they use in written communication makes up for the loss of non-verbal cues. Since the goal of this communication style is to avoid giving offense or creating conflict, it’s best suited to write messages that require empathy.
Channels of communication are the methods employees use to disseminate information to managers and colleagues. These tools facilitate team collaboration, feedback collection, and relationship building.
Using the right channel to convey your message is vital to employee engagement and productivity.
Here are the primary communication channels organizations use.
In-person conversation is an incredibly effective communication channel in the workplace. It uses verbal and nonverbal cues to convey messages, improving the quality and efficacy of communication.
For instance, it can be challenging to gauge intent using digital channels. However, message intent is apparent when you can see the speaker’s body language and hear their voice. The immediate feedback makes face-to-face communication ideal for complex and sensitive conversations.
In this increasingly digital age, communication via instant messaging tools is just as important as face-to-face communication in the workplace. Communication tools provide employees with unparalleled convenience. With them, employees can convey important messages even when they’re not in the same physical space as the colleague they’re talking to.
It can indeed be harder to determine message intent with communication tools than in face-to-face communication. The good news is that these technologies have evolved so that users now have at least an easier time discerning message intent than before.
Compared to emails, mobile apps for chatting are a fairly recent invention. However, they have already become a staple in the workplace. 55% of workers have said that they prefer using mobile phones for work purposes than desktop phones.
The statistics aren’t surprising. Apart from the convenience mobile apps provide, they also enable real-time conversations. With most of these platforms, you can also easily share important documents with colleagues and check previous conversations.
Email is the most widely used written communication channel for business. It is asynchronous, meaning communication isn’t in real time. You can generate a digital business card and include it in your email signature along with other information and documents reaching multiple recipients, making it ideal for large-scale communication. Moreover, like mobile apps for chatting, email enables you to track conversations and shared files.
Audio calls convey verbal messages in real time. That makes the channel ideal for time-sensitive communication without being physically present. Furthermore, conferencing features enable multiple people to participate in the call, facilitating faster decision-making. While phone calls eliminate body language cues, the listener can still interpret the message using tone of voice.
Most phone calls happen on mobile devices, with 6.84 billion smartphone users globally. However, several communication tools offer VoIP (voice of internet protocol), enabling users to call using internet connections.
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Users can call team members or leave voice messages.
Video calls are the remote work environment’s answer to synchronous communication.
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It uses verbal and non-verbal communication and accommodates multiple participants, facilitating connection and efficient collaboration. That’s not all. Video conferencing platforms have file-sharing and call-recording capabilities, enabling you to track files and conversations.
In theory, you can use any channel to share information. However, consider the message’s purpose, complexity, and urgency for greater efficiency.
For example, face-to-face meetings and video calls are more effective than emailing training materials when training new hires. You can gauge comprehension and answer questions. If you’re resigning, it’s best to use email or business letters. Messages that require immediate attention or response should be conveyed via phone calls.
You also have to consider the recipient of the message. For instance, you may use WhatsApp Web to chat with your friend who works in HR. However, when requesting time off, it’s best to use email.
Business documents are formal channels of written communication. They contain official messages and serve as a single source of truth. So, if there are questions about your B2B strategies or business policies, employees can refer to the relevant documents for clarification.
Business documents include contracts, HR handbooks, business plans, financial reports, meeting minutes, board resolutions, and more.
Direct communicators value honesty and transparency. However, they risk sounding inconsiderate and bossy. It’s vital to be polite and professional in the workplace. So, here are a few tips to be more pleasant without giving up your communication style.
As you can see, you don’t have to give up your communication style to thrive in the workplace. Just incorporate kindness to become a more empathetic leader or colleague.
Indirect communicators value harmony and diplomacy. However, it’s usually at the expense of message clarity and causes frustration with direct speakers. So, here are a few tips to get your message across effectively:
On that last point, remember, that direct communicators respect direct speech. They view indirect communication as evasive (at best) or dishonest (at worst). Therefore, using direct speech with them is a sign of respect and trustworthiness for them.
Clear communication is vital to an effective and productive work environment. However, people use different communication styles to express themselves. Some people are direct. Others prefer subtlety.
In the direct vs indirect communication style debate, it’s not a case of one style being better than the other. Each has its benefits. When you need things done quickly, direct communication reduces misunderstanding. When you need things done diplomatically, indirect communication minimizes conflict.
Knowing the difference between direct and indirect communication empowers you to interpret messages accurately. You also adapt appropriately to various situations since some require a direct approach while others call for subtlety.
Ultimately, you build better relationships in the workplace.