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SOCIAL STYLE Model™
The SOCIAL STYLE Model is a tool for understanding our basic behaviors and the impact we have on others. It's the most rigorously tested and practical approach for identifying and building interpersonal skills in business settings, with a nearly 50-year record of proven success.
What’s Your SOCIAL STYLEsm?
Everyone has natural behavioral patterns. Generally speaking, we fall into one of four categories, or SOCIAL STYLEs. SOCIAL STYLE is determined by gauging a person on two dimensions of human behavior: Assertiveness and Responsiveness.
- Assertiveness is the degree to which you tend to ask or tell during interactions.
(e.g. Do you quietly ask your colleagues “Would you like to go to lunch?" or loudly announce "Let's go to lunch!"?)
- Responsiveness is the degree to which you tend to control or emote.
(e.g. If you’re angry, do you keep it to yourself or let everyone know how you feel?)
The combination of your Assertive and Responsive tendencies reveals your SOCIAL STYLE:
- Analytical (Ask Assertive + Control Responsive): serious, exacting, logical; values accuracy and facts
- Driving (Tell Assertive + Control Responsive): independent, practical, formal; values actions and results
- Expressive (Tell Assertive + Emote Responsive): animated, forceful, impulsive; values approval and spontaneity
- Amiable (Ask Assertive + Emote Responsive): dependable, open, supportive; values security and relationships
Read more about each Style.
A few things to remember:
- None of the SOCIAL STYLEs are inherently good or bad; all have strengths and weaknesses.
- Your SOCIAL STYLE is not as important as how you use it. (Read about Versatility.)
- SOCIAL STYLEs are themes of behavior. We all have characteristics of each style, and the categories are not absolute. However, individuals generally have one dominant style, and others come to expect certain types of behaviors from them.
Because of the significant differences in the four styles, natural conflict occurs in daily interactions. Building familiarity and comfort with the behaviors of each style allows people to work better with colleagues of all styles. Current organizational development/organizational effectiveness research continues to support research by the TRACOM Group™ that social and self-awareness is key to interpersonal success. (e.g. Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence and Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.)
SOCIAL STYLE Applications
Unlike most training, the SOCIAL STYLE Model can be applied daily in an endless number of situations. It's useful any time you need to work with others to accomplish result. SOCIAL STYLE concepts are often integrated into training programs covering topics from leadership to customer service to team development.
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