Title: Communication Styles Information
Course: PIM: Teaming 1: Communication > Section: 2. Direct vs. Indirect Styles

Beyond pacing patterns, people also tend to have culturally-based preferences for more indirect or direct communication.

Watch the video, then complete the reading before moving on the practice.

Challenges of Han&Yan communicating across Differences from CROSSING BORDERS on Vimeo.

If the embedded video above will not play, you can watch it in Vimeo here: Direct vs Indirect Communication.

Direct and indirect communication styles are really 2 poles on a continuum, and everyone uses both to some extent, even though there are different preferences across cultural communities. Neither style is inherently better or more effective, and misinterpretation can happen both ways when speakers have different styles.

Direct communication strategies include getting straight to the point, stating exact problems and opinions, and giving explicit commands in the verbal message. Direct communicators use words like "should" and "want."

Indirect communication strategies include understatement, saying nothing, asking a question in response to a question, using qualifying language (probably, perhaps, almost, maybe, etc.), asking what the other person thinks when asked for an opinion, etc. The message will often require gathering information outside of the written or spoken words.

Adapted from: Storti, C. (1999). Direct and indirect communication. In Figuring foreigners out: A practical guide (pp. 91-112). Intercultural Press.