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Everything you need to know about indirect and direct communication
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Each person has their preferred way of sharing their wants and needs, and some can be more straightforward and direct while others are more strategic and indirect. Indirect communication is all about reading between the lines and looking at the bigger picture, and getting used to this communication style can take some time. Read on to learn all about what indirect communication is, how it's different from direct communication, and how to navigate interactions with people who prefer an indirect communication style.
Things You Should Know
- Indirect communication is a communication style that doesn’t obviously reveal a speaker’s intentions or desires.
- Indirect communication relies on things like a person’s body language, tone, and word choice to get the full message across.
- Unlike direct communication, indirect communication factors in social status and leads people to speak more formally depending on the listener.
Steps
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Tips
- Indirect communication is common in high-context societies, seen in countries like Japan and Nigeria. People in these societies tend to be very conscious of their relationships with others and often use indirect communication to save face and maintain peace.Thanks
- On the other hand, low-context societies, such as those in countries like the United States and New Zealand, often communicate straightforwardly and are more likely to be personal and informal even with superiors.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201104/are-we-talking-the-same-language-how-communication-styles-can-affect
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2015/05/learning-the-language-of-indirectness
- ↑ https://ubuntu-communication.ch/resources/pdf/2017-Comm_direct_indirect_e_final.pdf
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201104/are-we-talking-the-same-language-how-communication-styles-can-affect
- ↑ https://walton.uark.edu/business-communication-lab/Resources/downloads/business-forms/Direct_and_Indirect_Communication.pdf
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201104/are-we-talking-the-same-language-how-communication-styles-can-affect
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2015/05/learning-the-language-of-indirectness
- ↑ https://www.aib.edu.au/blog/communication/why-face-to-face-communication-is-still-important-in-the-digital-age/
- ↑ https://www.usip.org/public-education-new/what-active-listening
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