Communication

Understand How People Communicate and How to Reach Them

Good communication isn't just about what you say. It's about how the message is delivered, how it's received, and whether people understand what to do with it.

TTI Success Insights assessments help individuals and teams understand their own communication preferences and recognize how those preferences differ from the people around them. With this insight, employees can adapt the way they communicate to improve understanding, collaboration, relationships, and performance.

TTI reports also provide practical guidance for communicating with people who have different behavioral styles, giving employees a personalized communication cheat sheet they can use in everyday interactions.

What Are Communication Styles in the Workplace?

People can differ in:

• How directly they communicate
• How quickly they want to get to the point
• How much detail they need
• How much context they prefer
• How they respond to questions and feedback
• Whether they prefer discussion or time to process
• How they communicate under pressure

These differences can create misunderstandings even when everyone has the same goal.

For example, one employee may want a short message with the decision and next steps. Another may want background information, supporting data, and time to consider the details. Neither approach is inherently better. They reflect different behavioral preferences.

TTI helps people understand these differences so they can communicate more effectively with the people around them.

How TTI DISC Helps Improve Workplace Communication

DISC measures four behavioral factors:

• Dominance: Direct, results-oriented behavior
• Influence: Outgoing, people-oriented behavior
• Steadiness: Patient, consistent behavior
• Compliance: Precise, detail-oriented behavior

No DISC style is better than another. Each brings different strengths and communication preferences to the workplace.

Understanding these preferences can help employees adjust their approach without changing who they are.

The goal isn't to put coworkers into boxes. It's to recognize differences that can help you make your communication more effective.

Use TTI Reports as a Communication Cheat Sheet

TTI reports can help answer questions such as:

• How does this person prefer to receive information?
• What communication approach is most likely to get their attention?
• How much detail should I provide?
• Should I get straight to the point or provide context first?
• How might this person respond to pressure?
• What should I keep in mind when giving feedback?
• What communication behaviors could create friction between us?

This turns assessment insight into something employees can use immediately.

Instead of thinking, "That's just how they communicate," teams can ask, "What can I do differently to make this communication more effective?"

Natural vs. Adapted Communication Style

Natural style reflects how someone tends to behave when they are operating in a way that feels most comfortable and natural to them.

Adapted style reflects how they are adjusting their behavior to meet the expectations of their current environment.

The difference between the two can provide useful insight into the demands a person may be experiencing at work.

For example, an employee may naturally prefer a slower, more deliberate approach but adapt to a faster-paced environment. Understanding that difference can help leaders and employees have more productive conversations about expectations, workload, communication, and development.

This insight can be especially valuable when teams are experiencing communication challenges that don't seem to have an obvious cause.

When Communication Problems Are Really Motivational Differences

12 Driving Forces measures the forces that influence why people make the choices they make.

For example, one employee may prioritize efficiency and results, while another places greater value on helping others or following an established process. They may receive exactly the same information and reach very different conclusions.

Understanding motivation adds another layer to communication.

DISC helps explain how someone communicates. 12 Driving Forces helps explain why they may respond differently.

This can help teams move beyond recurring disagreements and identify the underlying differences driving them.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Communication

EQ provides insight into emotional intelligence, including:

• Self-Awareness
• Self-Regulation
• Social Awareness
• Social Regulation
• Motivation

These capabilities can influence how people respond to feedback, handle disagreement, manage difficult conversations, and maintain productive relationships under pressure.

For organizations looking at communication more holistically, DISC, 12 Driving Forces, and EQ can be combined in a Multi-Science report.

Together, they provide insight into how people behave, why they are motivated, and how they manage themselves and interact with others.

Improve Communication Between Two People

Rather than framing the issue as a "personality clash," employees can identify specific differences in areas such as:

• Communication pace
• Directness
• Level of detail
• Decision-making approach
• Response to change
• Need for discussion or processing time
• Motivational priorities

Small communication adjustments can have a significant impact when they are based on a better understanding of the people involved.

Build Stronger Team Communication

Communication doesn't happen only between two people. Every team develops patterns around how information is shared, decisions are made, disagreement is handled, and work gets done.

TTI team reports can help leaders and teams see these patterns more clearly.

Teams can use TTI insights to:

• Understand the behavioral makeup of the team
• Recognize different communication preferences
• Identify potential communication gaps
• Improve collaboration
• Adapt communication across different styles
• Build trust and understanding
• Strengthen team effectiveness
• Create a shared language for discussing differences

The goal isn't to make everyone communicate the same way. The goal is to help people communicate effectively across their differences.

Explore team building to learn how TTI assessments can help teams understand their collective strengths and opportunities.

Communication Skills for Leaders

Leaders communicate constantly, through meetings, feedback, emails, coaching conversations, decisions, and everyday interactions.

Understanding behavioral and motivational differences can help leaders communicate more effectively with different employees.

TTI assessments can help leaders:

• Adapt communication to individual preferences
• Give feedback in ways employees can better receive
• Recognize potential communication barriers
• Build stronger relationships
• Navigate difficult conversations
• Understand how different people respond to change
• Develop greater self-awareness
• Strengthen team communication

Communication insight can also become part of broader professional development initiatives.

Communication Styles FAQs

What are communication styles in the workplace?

Workplace communication styles describe how people prefer to give and receive information. Differences can include directness, pace, level of detail, amount of context, and preference for discussion or processing time. TTI DISC helps individuals understand these behavioral preferences and adapt their communication accordingly.

What are the four main communication styles?

A commonly used model describes four communication styles as passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and assertive. These describe ways people may communicate in particular situations rather than fixed personality types. TTI takes a different approach by using DISC to measure behavioral preferences across Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance.

How does DISC help with communication?

DISC helps people understand behavioral preferences that influence how they communicate and respond to others. It can show whether someone tends to prefer direct and concise communication, conversational interaction, a steady and supportive approach, or detailed and precise information. This insight helps employees adapt their communication to different people.

How do I communicate with someone who has a different communication style?

Start by understanding how the other person prefers to receive information. You may need to adjust the level of detail, pace, directness, amount of context, or opportunity for discussion. TTI reports provide practical guidance that can help employees adapt their communication to different behavioral preferences.

Can DISC improve team communication?

Yes. Teams can use DISC insights to understand behavioral differences, identify potential communication challenges, and develop strategies for working together more effectively. TTI team reports can provide a broader view of the behavioral makeup of a team and support conversations around communication and collaboration.

What is the difference between DISC and 12 Driving Forces?

DISC measures how people tend to behave, while 12 Driving Forces measures why people are motivated to act. Both can influence communication. DISC can help explain how a message is delivered and received, while 12 Driving Forces can help explain why people may respond differently to the same message or situation.

How does emotional intelligence affect workplace communication?

Emotional intelligence can influence how people recognize and manage their own emotions, understand others, respond to difficult situations, and maintain productive relationships. TTI EQ provides insight into these capabilities and can support communication, leadership development, coaching, and team effectiveness.

Can communication assessments be used to evaluate employees?

TTI assessments are designed to provide insight into behavioral preferences, motivators, and other factors that can support development and workplace effectiveness. They should not be used to label employees or determine whether someone's communication style is "good" or "bad." Assessment results are most valuable when they help people understand themselves and adapt their approach to work more effectively.