Types of Communication Styles: Complete Guide for Finance Professionals

What Are the Main Types of Communication Styles?

The main types of communication styles are passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and assertive. Recognizing these styles and how they show up at work is essential for effective communication. Each type affects workplace interactions differently, influencing collaboration, trust, and efficiency. 

Understanding your own communication style helps you build stronger relationships, influence decision making, and stand out as a trusted professional. Even in the age of AI, communication skills remain not just in-demand but also the top soft skill sought by employers.

Passive Communication Style

Passive communication is a style where individuals consistently avoid expressing their opinions, feelings, and needs. Passive communicators tend not to respond overtly to situations that cause hurt or upset, allowing feelings to build up internally. This pattern often leads to sudden outbursts triggered by seemingly minor incidents, followed by feelings of shame or guilt.

Example

When a manager assigns multiple urgent tasks with tight deadlines, a passive communicator might respond with “yeah, mm-hmm” without mentioning they’re already at full capacity. Later, they may admit they couldn’t complete the work. They didn’t feel comfortable speaking up during the original conversation, even though raising concerns earlier would have prevented the issue.

Aggressive Communication Style

Aggressive communication is a style where individuals prioritize their own viewpoint and tend to dominate conversations. Communicating aggressively can create tension among colleagues and inadvertently shut down open dialogue.

Professional environments today value respectful, collaborative interactions that encourage input from all team members. This communication style can hinder teamwork and damage workplace relationships.

Example

When a manager discovers errors in an employee’s work, an aggressive communicator might interrupt the employee’s attempts to explain, dismiss their input with phrases like “I don’t want to hear excuses,” and escalate to threats about their job security. 

This approach shuts down constructive dialogue and leaves the employee feeling attacked rather than supported to improve, ultimately damaging the working relationship.

Passive-Aggressive Communication Style

Passive-aggressive communication is a style where individuals appear calm on the surface but use indirect approaches to express disagreement or anger. Passive-aggressive communicators avoid saying directly how they feel and instead use subtle behaviors to show their displeasure. 

Example

When asked about a missed deadline, a passive-aggressive communicator might deflect responsibility by blaming a colleague for providing information late rather than acknowledging their own role. When their manager tries to discuss solutions, they respond with dismissive phrases like “yeah, sure, whatever,” using tone and body language that contradict their words. 

This indirect approach prevents genuine problem-solving and leaves issues unresolved.

Assertive Communication Style

Assertive communication involves expressing your opinions, feelings, and needs confidently while respecting others. This style strikes a balance between passive communication, where a person avoids conflict and downplays their own needs, and aggressive communication, which involves dominating and disregarding the feelings of others.

Assertive communication is considered the most effective professional communication style. This approach fosters collaboration and trust, while helping you build workplace relationships.

Example

When a manager requests urgent work with a tight deadline, an assertive communicator acknowledges the request’s importance while clearly stating their current capacity constraints. They proactively offer solutions like reallocating tasks to team members or extending the deadline, turning the conversation into a collaborative problem-solving discussion. 

The assertive approach respects both their own boundaries and the manager’s needs, leading to a productive outcome that works for everyone.

Strategies For Your Communication Style

Communication challenges often stem not from what you say but how you say it. Without self-awareness, you might slip into passive behavior, speak too aggressively, or act passive-aggressively without realizing it.

Recognizing these patterns helps you adjust before they cause misunderstandings. Consider these common moments:

• Speaking up and later realizing your tone was harsher than intended.
• Staying quiet to avoid conflict when you should have spoken up.
• Using sarcasm instead of addressing an issue directly.

These moments are common, and recognizing them is the first step to building self-awareness and improvement.

Strategies for Passive Communicators

Be aware that your communication style impacts how others perceive you in the workplace. Your behaviors and inactions, including not speaking up, are noticed by colleagues and can influence how you’re viewed professionally, affecting your potential for career growth.

To begin shifting toward more assertive communication, take frequent opportunities to identify your specific needs and preferences. Start by expressing them with people you feel comfortable with. These actions will help you build new communication habits that you can apply more broadly in professional settings, whether interacting with peers, clients, or cross-functional teams.

Strategies for Aggressive Communicators

Becoming more self-aware is the first step toward shifting communication patterns. Take note of how people respond to your communication and what body language you’re noticing when you speak.

Work on developing empathy and seeking feedback:

• Be more empathetic with the person you’re speaking to — a lack of empathy is the key difference between assertive and aggressive communication.
• Good communication skills require both effective speaking and listening. If listening is difficult for you, seek out resources and tips to help you improve your listening skills.
• Ask people for specific feedback on your communication style to identify areas for growth.

Strategies for Passive-Aggressive Communicators

Recognizing your patterns is the first step toward changing passive-aggressive behaviors. Like any ingrained habit, changing communication patterns takes both time and intention.

Focus on direct, clear communication:

• Accept your emotions, then be intentional about how you express them.
• State your opinions clearly and respectfully using direct language.
• When someone has upset you, calmly explain the impact their behavior has had using clear and specific statements.
• Stand your ground with composure — be assertive without being aggressive.
• Speak in a calm and measured way, and remain open to hearing others’ points of view.

How to Develop Assertive Communication Skills

Building assertive communication takes practice and intention. Start by acknowledging your emotions — strong feelings are natural and expressing them respectfully is what matters.

Practice these assertive communication techniques:

• Use clear statements that center on facts and how situations affect you.
• When you face pushback, stay calm and stand your ground with composure.
• Recognize that assertiveness improves with regular use.

Remember that changing communication habits takes time, but developing an assertive style leads to stronger relationships, increased confidence, and more effective collaboration.

Comparing Types of Communication Styles

Understanding the differences between communication styles helps you recognize patterns in yourself and others. This comparison table summarizes the key characteristics, impacts, and strategies for each communication style.

Table: The Four Main Communication Styles Compared

Final Word on Types of Communication Styles

The four main types of communication styles are passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and assertive. Each style affects your workplace interactions differently. Recognizing your communication patterns is the first step toward building stronger professional relationships and advancing your career. 

Developing professional communication skills requires structured guidance and practice. Courses like Communication and Presentation Skills for Finance Professionals from CFI can help you enhance your communication skills and gain a deeper understanding of others’ styles. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 4 main types of communication styles?

The four main types of communication styles are passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and assertive. Assertive communication is considered the most effective style for professional settings.

What are the benefits of an assertive communication style?

Assertive communication encourages effective problem-solving and conflict resolution by fostering empathy and cooperation. This style helps build stronger professional relationships, increases confidence, and leads to more effective collaboration in the workplace. Assertive communicators are able to express their needs clearly while maintaining respect for others, which creates trust and improves team dynamics.

How can I improve my communication skills for the workplace?

Start by recognizing your current communication patterns and identifying whether you tend toward passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, or assertive behaviors. Consider taking professional courses or workshops focused on developing assertive communication skills. These opportunities provide the structured guidance and practice you need to build communication skills effectively.

Additional Resources

Overcoming Communication Barriers

Prioritizing Internal Stakeholders

Communication: A Vital Life Skill

CFI’s Communication and Presentation Skills for Finance Professionals course

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See all FP&A resources