Most Effective Communication Strategies With Various Personalities

Communication style is characterized by the way people appear (or attempt to appear) in communication, the way they tend to relate to the ones they communicate with and how their messages are typically interpreted.

Different personality types process and communicate information differently. For example, an ENFJ will communicate well with people of ENFJ, INFJ, ENFP, INFP types (i.e. all who belong to the NF group), but not necessarily communicate effectively to individuals belonging to the ST group (ESTJ, ISTJ, ESTP, ISTP). This is because the ST people process and communicate information in a sensory and logical way rather than an emotional and conceptual one. How to determine the type of another person.

Communication Styles and Personality

Preferable Communication Style

The table below summarizes what communication style would be preferable when communicating to various personality types.

With ST people:	With NT people:
Be specific, confident, well-reasoned demonstrate immediate advantages, profit provide examples; use visual aids.	Be specific, well-reasoned; use visual aids, diagrams use concepts, theories appeal to intellectual capabilities give them a challenge show how the problem in hand or subject of communication fits into the "big picture"
With SF people:	With NF people:
Be supportive, expressive, and confident provide examples; demonstrate immediate advantages, profit appeal to feelings and emotions	Be expressive, well-reasoned use visual aids use concepts, theories appeal to their intuition give them a challenge show how the problem in hand or subject of communication fits into the "big picture"

Areas of Communication

Easy To Comprehend

The table below summarizes areas of communication (or topics) that would be relatively easy to comprehend by various groups of personality types.

By ST people:	By NT people:
Practices (ways of doing something) Resources (means, personnel, equipment, tools, materials, money) Analyses (the examination of something in detail, study of interrelationships between the details, in order to understand it or draw conclusions from it) Implementation (practical realisation, ways of realisation, how things are actually carried out or accomplished) Rules (rules, procedures, policies, regulations, laws)	Ideas, concepts Analyses (the examination of something in detail, study of interrelationships between the details, in order to understand the whole or draw conclusions from it) Assessment (analysis or estimation of the characteristics, qualities or value of a thing or a person) Trends Reviews (expert reviews, analyst opinions) Paradoxical facts (that seemingly contradict the established beliefs or practises, that may nonetheless be true) History (preceding events) Future (future perspectives, outcome, how things and events may develop, consequences of actions)
By SF people:	By NF people:
Feelings and emotions Casual chatter Guesswork and premonitions (feelings of something to happen, even without a strong rationale) Practices (ways of doing something) Opinions and beliefs (even without a rational basis) Resources (means, personnel, equipment, tools, materials, money) Looks (way somebody or something appears); personal appearance, style, or fashion	Ideas Teachings Feelings Casual chatter Reviews (expert reviews, analyst opinions) Values History (preceding events) Future (future perspectives, outcome, how things and events may develop, consequences of actions) Beliefs Personal appearance, style, or fashion

Not So Easy To Comprehend

The table below summarizes areas of communication (or topics) that wouldn't be so easy to comprehend by various groups of personality types.

By ST people:	By NT people:
Feelings Beliefs Casual chatter Guesswork and premonitions (feelings of something to happen without a strong rationale), gossiping	Subtle differences in feelings Gossiping No alternative, “there is only one way”
By SF people:	By NF people:
Analyses (the examination of something in detail, study of interrelationships between the details, in order to understand it or draw conclusions from it) Theories (theoretical or scientific principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, seen as distinct from actual practice) Surprising facts (that seemingly contradict the established beliefs or practises, that may nonetheless be true)	No alternative, “there is only one way” A very detailed examination of something

Most Effective Communication Strategies With Various Personalities

Communication Styles and Personality

Preferable Communication Style

With ST people:

With NT people:

With SF people:

With NF people:

Areas of Communication

Easy To Comprehend

By ST people:

By NT people:

By SF people:

By NF people:

Not So Easy To Comprehend

By ST people:

By NT people:

By SF people:

By NF people: