Who are you talking to? Effective communication and its importance for Army Leadership.
By SSgt Craig Webb, 34 Battery BQMS, 14 Regiment Royal Artillery.
"Colours fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure." - Edward Thorndike
On a Monday morning at 1030hrs (thankful for a late start), we stand in three ranks, in open
order, as the Sergeant Major inspects us. All trousers must be meticulously ironed, boots
polished to a shine, regimental patches correctly placed, and haircuts (and now beards) in
strict accordance with policy. We are expected to be disciplined, in uniform, and adhere to
the organisation's Values and Standards, which have been drilled into us from day one. We
are supposed to be the same. Yet, when I look to my left and right, it is clear that we are not
the same at all. In fact, each one of us is unique, with a different background, family history,
set of skills, and aspirations.
In my view, one of the strengths of our organisation is its diversity. It is what drew me
to the British Army 16 years ago and one of the reasons why I have stuck around. And I am
not just talking about diversity in the usual sense – race, religion, gender, and sexual
orientation. I am thinking about diversity in behaviours, backgrounds, upbringings,
personal values, experiences, and personalities. We all work closely with different people,
all day, every day.
We communicate daily with subordinates, peers, and superiors. We communicate
with those from different generations, we do so in different formats and for different
reasons: whether it is receiving a commander's coin, having a one-way conversation with
the RSM after a chest-poking incident at a mess function, or delegating tasks to junior ranks.
But how often do we stop, consider who we are talking to, and how often do we adapt our
communication style accordingly?
We often hear that communication is an essential ingredient of outstanding
leadership. The Army Leadership Doctrine has a whole section on the importance of
communicating the intent clearly as well as how to inspire, motivate and foster a sense of
belonging (ALD 2021, pp. 37-38). With this in mind, one important question comes to mind:
Who are we talking to? And from this initial question, other ones naturally follow: Who do
we wish to inspire? What do we know about them? What motivates them? Why are they
here? Knowing your audience is key. Leaders must be aware of the reactions, triggers, and
motivations of their team and of everyone in it. Leaders should think about what they are
going to say before saying it and select the most appropriate method of communication.
Crucially, leaders must not only focus on what they say but also on how they say it. They
should calibrate their tone, speed, and volume according to the audience, the context and
what they aim to achieve. When communicating face-to-face or online, leaders must also be
aware of the impact of non-verbal communication: mannerisms, body language, facial
expression, eye gaze, attentiveness, etc. Researchers suggest that nonverbal communication
is four times more impactful than verbal communication, with 80% of what we
communicate involving our actions and gestures versus only 20% being conveyed with the
use of words (Hull 2016).
The Social Style Theory developed by psychologists David Merrill and Roger Reid
(1981) is helpful for leaders to own examine their communication style and its impact in
greater depth. According to this theory everyone of us falls into one of four social styles.
Identifying these social styles can help you adapt your communication method accordingly
thus achieving greater impact.
Merrill and Reid’s social styles form a quadrant based on two dimensions:
Assertiveness and Responsiveness.
• Assertiveness: it measures how someone takes charge and presents themselves in
their interactions with others. Those who like to take charge and present as dominant,
direct, and decisive show high assertiveness. These individuals are often seen as
leaders, unafraid to voice their opinions and to take control of situations. On the other
hand, those who appear as passive, reserved, and accommodating score low on
assertiveness. They tend to be more reflective, preferring to listen and to support
rather than to lead.
• Responsiveness: it measures how someone presents their emotions and reacts during
interactions. Someone who is open, warm, and people-oriented is highly responsive.
These individuals are empathetic, good at building relationships, and can anticipate the
responses and needs of others. Conversely, those who are controlled, task-focused, and
do not easily connect emotionally with others have low responsiveness. They are more
likely to focus on facts and logic, maintaining a professional distance in their
interactions.
By understanding where individuals fall within these dimensions, four social styles can be
identified, and communication styles can be subsequently aligned to achieve the desired
effect and impact:
• Driver: someone who has high assertiveness and low responsiveness. These
individuals are goal-oriented and decisive. They like to take charge with little delay in
reaction. They can present as forceful and dominant. When communicating with
drivers, you need to be direct, concise, and you should focus on process and results. Get
to the point quickly and avoid unnecessary small talk.
• Analytical: low assertiveness and low responsiveness. They are methodical and pay
attention to detail. They like to generate ideas and solve problems. When interacting
with members of this group, you need to adopt a clear, detailed, and logical
communication style. You must support your points with data and evidence. During
interactions, you must allow them sufficient time for them to consider and respond.
• Expressive: high assertiveness and high responsiveness. They are sociable,
enthusiastic, highly empathetic. They engage in enthusiastic and open conversations.
To engage with this group, you should use narratives, stories, and examples. They also
require open appreciation for their input.
• Amiable: highly responsive but low assertiveness. They are calm and relaxed. Easy
going and good team players, who tend to avoid conflict and confrontation. They are
friendly, patient, and supportive. If you want to engage with them, you need to spend
time to build a rapport. Show empathy and avoid confrontation as it may cause them to
shut down
Recognising and adapting to these social styles can improve the quality and impact of
communication throughout the ranks. However, this only works if leaders know their teams
well. Unfortunately, the quick pace of rotation in the Army, and I believe it can be a perk, is
that we regularly work with new people. We are often required to communicate with
colleagues we do not know well enough to apply the Social Style Theory of communication
effectively.
In this context, Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis Theory is a good fallback approach
(Berne 1964). According to Berne, the human personality is made up of three ‘ego states’,
each of which is an entire system of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Each ego state
determines how we interact with others. Transactional analysis requires us to be aware of
how we feel, think, and behave during interactions with others and to consider the impact
that our verbal and no verbal communication has on them. Berne’s three ego states are:
• Parent: The behaviours, thoughts and feelings are modelled on those of our parents,
carers and authority figures from your childhood. It can be nurturing or critical and
condescending.
• Adult: The behaviours, thoughts and feelings are a response to the here and now. They
do not depend on past patterns of behaviour or learnt responses. The key traits are
objectivity, rationality, and logic.
• Child: The behaviours, thoughts and feelings are re-played from childhood. This can be
linked to emotional and spontaneous responses but also to compliant or immature
behaviour.
The transactional analysis theory suggests that if you approach someone with a Parent ego
state, you are likely to receive a Parent or Child response. If you approach them with a Child
ego state, you are likely to be ‘parented’ in return. The ideal approach is therefore to
communicate from the adult ego state to ensure the best, most mature, interaction.
Being aware of one’s own state and the state of others at any given moment requires
strong emotional intelligence: knowing ourselves, understanding our own emotions and
being able to measure and anticipate other people’s reactions, needs and emotions. We need also to be flexible and quick to adapt our communication style to the audience, task, and
context. Hence, there is no one size-fits-all approach to communication.
The Army Leadership Doctrine emphasises that every word and action can have
significant impact. This aligns with the concept of the leadership amplification effect, which
suggests that statements, promises, or remarks made by a leader can deeply influence junior
ranks because of their senior role and function with the organisation. This underscores the
importance of mindful and intentional communication by leaders at all levels. To put this in
a relatable context, we would never fail to adhere to the British Army Rules of Engagement
Card Alpha. This is a document we rightly take seriously, and we know that failing to adhere
to can have critical and sometimes lethal repercussions. Card Alpha states that if you must
open fire you are to fire only aimed shots, fire no more rounds than are necessary, and take
all reasonable precautions not to injure anyone other than the target. If we apply the same
principles to effective communication, it might look something like this:
• Communicate with purpose. Ensure your communication is intentional and direct,
avoid unnecessary and vague message.
• Be concise. Keep your communication relevant and to the point. Delivering the essential
information necessary.
• Be considerate and precise. Be mindful of the impact of your words and avoid
misunderstanding and amplification.
Conclusion
Effective communication is the cornerstone of strong leadership. It forms the foundation of
our daily interactions, and it is essential in building trust. While communication is often
taken for granted, it is an important tool that must be given due consideration and practice.
Communication must always be tailored to the task, context, and audience. By embracing
our differences, recognising who we are speaking to, adjusting our communication style,
and presenting ourselves from an adult ego state, we can enhance the quality and power of
our communication. This, in turn, fosters better leadership.
Questions:
1. Can you think of a time in which you failed to communicate successfully with
somebody/a team because you were unable to connect with them? What would you do
differently now?
2. How important is emotional intelligence to achieve better communication?
3. What can you do today to improve your communication style?
Resources:
Centre for Army Leadership, Army Leadership Doctrine (2021), AC 72029,
Values and Standards of the British Army (2018), AC 64649
Hull R., The art of nonverbal communication in practice. The Hearing Journal 69/5 (2016), pp. 22-24.
Murray H., Transactional Analysis Theory & Therapy: Eric Berne. Simply Psychology Blog, 24 Oct 2023.
Berne E., Games People Play (New York: Grove Press, 1964). 1st edition.
Merrill, D. W., & Reid, R. H., Personal styles & effective performance (Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1981)