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Communication Styles Test

The Communication Styles Test is based on the Competing Values Framework.

This test is based on the work of Dr. David Merrill, Robert Bolton & Dorothy Grover Bolton, and Dr. Andre Tjoa who, separately over the course of the last 50 years, developed and refined a model of communication that describes four main styles: Directive, Expressive, Amiable, and Analytical.

Flexibility Control Internal External Amiable Expressive Analytical Directive
  • "Expressive" Flexible and External: Communicates with energy and emotion, drawing others in through storytelling, enthusiasm, and spontaneous expression. They thrive in open-ended conversations and collaborative environments where ideas can flow freely. Social interactions are a source of energy, and they are often the person who sets the tone in a room. Their communication can prioritise feeling and engagement over precision or structure.
  • "Directive" Control and External: Communicates with clarity and purpose, favouring direct, structured exchanges that move toward a clear outcome. They are comfortable taking the lead in conversations and tend to tell rather than ask, preferring efficiency over exploration. Their communication style can be perceived as commanding or demanding, particularly by styles that value collaboration or emotional tone. They perform best in high-stakes, fast-paced environments where decisiveness is an asset.
  • "Analytical" Control and Internal: Communicates with precision and deliberation, preferring factual, evidence-based information over emotional appeals or subjective opinion. They tend to process before speaking, choosing their words carefully and expecting the same standard from others. Emotional or manipulative communication is often viewed with scepticism. They are most effective in structured, information-rich environments where depth and accuracy are valued.
  • "Amiable" Flexible and Internal: Communicates with empathy and patience, prioritising the emotional wellbeing of others over directing or informing. They are natural active listeners who create space for others to feel heard and understood. In group settings they often act as the social glue, smoothing tensions and building consensus. They tend to avoid conflict and may adapt their message to preserve harmony.

How do candidates express themselves? How do they prefer to receive information and interact with others? Individuals can flex their style to more effectively communicate with others, but that is kind of dependent on how 'strong' their scores are. Extremely high scores have a tough time turning 'off' a particular mode of communication and extremely low scores have a tough time turning 'on' a particular style. If you would like some practical advice on how to flex your style or guide candidates to do so, I recommend reading the book 'People Styles at Work...And Beyond' by Robert Bolton and Dorothy Grover Bolton. It is full of practical examples and advice on how to flex communication styles.

Did you notice that the communication styles on opposite sides of model are almost opposites of each other? Expressive and Analytical are polar opposites, as are Directive and Amiable. This layout is called a 'Circumplex', it's a way to visualize the clashes that will pop up between different styles. If a candidate is an Expressive, they will have a harder time communicating with an Analytical, and if they are a Directive, they will have a harder time communicating with an Amiable. The more 'extreme' the scores are, the more difficult it will be to communicate with the opposite style. But that's the beauty of having this knowledge in your pocket as a professional. You can identify potential communication frictions within a team and help bridge those gaps by coaching individuals on how to identify their counterpart's style and flex their own to better connect.

As with Work Style and Culture, there is no 'best' style, but if a candidate's work continually asks them to communicate in a style that is not natural to them, it will drain their energy. Use these results not only as a tool for team dynamics, but as a way to identify the kind of work and work environment that will be most energising for a candidate.