Okay boys and girls, it's another "observation" blog. I get a feeling there may be a few of these coming. Today I will make a couple of observations about how people communicate.
1) I have a coworker that I love to sit and chat with a few minutes each day. We discuss work and personal. A few days ago I noticed a difference in our speaking styles. Mine is a kind of story telling style. I want to share something that happened and tell the story so that the "punch line" is the highlight. Very linear and steady. If a detail adds to the enjoyment of the story it gets tossed in, if not, I leave it out. She will tell me about something that happens and her style is more like a scientific report. There is an end goal, but each detail must be revealed whether or not it's relevant to the end goal. A story from her can be stalled until she can give a definate date or time that some part of the story occurred in. I will usually get a quick "bio" of a new "character". Etc. Some times I just want to blurt out "skip it! it doesn't matter if the coat is blue or green, does it?".
2) I had lunch with a new friend today. Right off the bat I noticed that our base personalities were reflected in how we spoke to the wait staff. This friend is a very laid back, happy go lucky type. Seems to be truly fine with things they way they are. I am a type A personality. Part of my "affliction" is that I don't hesitate to ask for something if it's not offered and that rather than "being a bother" I will ask for something if they do the "buzz by the table and ask if they need something" thing where most people just nod and wave off the waitress. I wondered if my style seemed aggressive to them or made them feel uncomfortable. I'm never rude, but some people feel uneasy about asking for something extra. (i.e. asking for a specific booth rather than just accepting the one offered. Which, BTW, I got)
Is it just me or do you notice these things? How would you describe your communication style?
