Picture this workplace scenario:
Marcus walks into Sarah’s office with a clear agenda. He’s got three critical decisions that need to be made before the 2 PM deadline. His approach is direct: “Sarah, I need your input on the budget allocation, vendor selection, and timeline approval. Can we get through these quickly?”
Sarah, however, starts with, “Good morning! How was your weekend? I heard your daughter had her soccer game. Before we dive in, I wanted to share something interesting that happened with the Johnson client yesterday…” She’s building connection, setting context, and creating rapport.
Marcus is internally thinking: “What’s your motive here? Just tell me what you need or let me tell you what I need. We’re burning daylight.” His ‘Mover’ communication style is laser-focused on action and results. Every conversation needs to pass his filter question: “What is your motive?” He needs directness to feel respected and to maintain his standards of efficiency.
Sarah, with her high ‘Influencer’ communication style, feels the tension. Marcus’s abrupt energy feels unnecessarily harsh to her. She’s thinking: “Why is he so uptight? I’m just trying to connect before we jump into business.” Her spontaneous, relational approach isn’t landing well, and she can sense Marcus pulling away emotionally.
This creates a wedge. Marcus feels like Sarah is wasting time and not respecting his need for efficiency. Sarah feels like Marcus doesn’t value connection and is being unnecessarily cold. Both are right from their own communication lens, but neither is getting their needs met.
Sound familiar?
This exact dynamic plays out in workplaces everywhere, every single day. Communication challenges and misunderstandings are among the leading causes of workplace dissatisfaction and stress. When team members don’t understand each other’s communication preferences, productivity suffers, relationships strain, and potential goes unrealized.
This is exactly why we developed our Communication Breakthrough Workplace Training. We help leaders and their teams:
✅ Understand their own preferred Communication Style and how they desire to be communicated with
✅ Learn their team members’ communication preferences and adapt accordingly
✅ Master all 7 Communication IQ Styles for more effective interactions
✅ Transform workplace dynamics through intentional communication strategies
In our workshop, Marcus would learn that Sarah’s storytelling and relationship-building isn’t time-wasting—it’s how she processes information and builds trust. Sarah would understand that Marcus’s directness isn’t rudeness—it’s how he shows respect for everyone’s time and maintains his high standards.
The video below features Valme and Cornelius sharing their real experiences and the tangible benefits this training brought to their workplace team. Their insights perfectly capture how understanding communication styles transforms both individual relationships and overall team dynamics.
When we bridge these communication gaps, magic happens. Teams become more efficient, relationships deepen, and workplace satisfaction soars.
What communication challenges are you seeing in your workplace? Learn more about our Communication Breakthrough Course for teams:
https://www.breakthroughcorporatetraining.com.au/courses/life-languages-communication/.
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