What kind of communicator are you?

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Quiz Questions

1.
You're writing an email to a colleague to request information, but you've never met them before. How do you start the email?
- A.
  Hi Mary, I hope this email finds you well.
- B.
  Hi, I'm after some information.
- C.
  Hello colleague! We haven't met before, but my name is...
- D.
  Hi Mary, have you ever wondered how to find information? I have, and ...
2.
You're writing a progress update to key stakeholders on your project. How do you approach it?
- A.
  I provide three dot points with just the key highlights.
- B.
  I provide the background on where we've come from, where we're going, our progress to date... and what's working well, and what's not.
- C.
  I provide a screenshot of a gantt chart to show the progress of all activities, with general commentary.
- D.
  I provide the technical specifications of the project, just in case people need them, along with snippets from reports from each of the project workstreams, and the percentage of progress of each stream.
3.
Your company has realised it doesn't have up-to-date records of who has completed First Aid training. You need to request this information from your team. How would you request it?
- A.
  Luckily we're not in the business of saving lives, or this would be really awkward! HAHA! Anyway, can you please send me the details of your First Aid training? I just need the dates and a copy of the certificate.
- B.
  Send me the date you completed the training, and attach the certificate.
- C.
  To ensure we meet compliance measure FAI2001:87, we need a complete record of employees' First Aid attainment. Please send your records through, including a copy of the Statement of Attainment.
- D.
  Your Statement of Attainment for First Aid is required. Please send it through so we don't breach compliance.
4.
Your company is about to replace its mobile phones with a new model. What information do you include in your communication to employees?
- A.
  Why we're replacing them, and the cool technical specifications of the new phones (for example, they include 4K 120fps Dolby Vision for video and new 6-core CPU).
- B.
  Why we're replacing them, why we chose this model, the cool technical specifications, what you can do with the new phones that you can't do with the current phones, how to back up your data on your current phone, and the timeline of delivery for each team.
- C.
  Just to be aware that new phones are coming to replace their current phones.
- D.
  Be aware the new phones are coming to replace the current phones, they'll have improved video quality and work faster, some of the other benefits (like longer battery life), how we decided on this model to replace the current model, and what the next steps are.
5.
You're in a meeting and time is nearly up. But you have a specific, technical question that hasn't been answered yet. The answer may be relevant for some of the other people in the meeting. What do you do?
- A.
  You ask the question, because if you don't, you might forget about it later. You just make it a bit simpler so everyone understands. You'd really like to talk about it to make sure you're clear - and others are clear - on what you need to do.
- B.
  Save it and ask via email later, even if it could help provide some context for others. You want to get out of there on time. But you'll keep the email simple because you know not everyone will understand.
- C.
  You ask the question, but because it's a bit technical you re-ask it in a few different ways to make sure everyone understands, even if it's not relevant to all. It's important that people feel well informed. The meeting goes a bit over, but it's okay to do that if it means everyone has the information.
- D.
  You don't like meetings running late, so you wait until later to ask the question via email. It's a bit technical, but you keep it short. If they need an explanation, they can ask.

Quiz Outcomes

1.
Jargon Jack
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Jargon Jacks love a big word or two! They are very skilled in the art of vocabulary, probably love reading, and are likely experts in a particular field. While they do love a fancy word, they also tend to keep their communication short. They’ll make sure a meeting finishes on time, and their emails are no longer than a couple of paragraphs.While they're great at keeping the conversation short, they do tend to forget that not everyone has the expertise, context, or knowledge they do. So people often get confused by the words they use, or what they're talking about. So if you're a Jargon Jack, it's time to work on simplifying your language, and thinking about what your audience needs to know before you communicate.
2.
Waffling Wendy
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Our Waffling Wendys love a good chat! They often write as though they’re in a conversation too, with a ‘stream of consciousness’ filling the screen. You’ll find her emails take a while to get to the point, as do her chats. Meetings often run over time, and if she’s going to give a five-minute presentation, then allow for 15 minutes! ‘TL;DR’ (too long, didn’t read) was invented for the Wendys of this world.If you're a Waffling Wendy, it's not all bad. Typically you're great at making sure people are kept up to date.But you need to work on a few things, including keeping it simple - get rid of the jargon and complex language. Also, focus on cutting out the fluff, and get to the point, quickly!
3.
Short 'n' Sharp Sharon
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Our Short ‘n’ Sharp Sharons have no time to waste on niceties! They get to the point, quickly and clearly, whether it's in a conversation, text message, or emails. Sharons tend to use simple, clear language, and their emails are just a few lines. In a meeting, a Sharon will get straight to the point, and wrap things up as quickly as possible. Keeping it short and clear is great - people don't have time to wade through mountains of text to get to the point. But be careful about your tone. Sometime, being short and concise comes across as rude and blunt. Also, make sure that in your desire to 'keep it short', you aren't omitting any key facts or context that would help your audience understand your message.
4.
Really Redundant Rodney
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Really Redundant Rodney keeps it simple, but definitely not short! He’ll probably tell you the same thing in five different ways, or will give you a lot of detail you didn’t ask for. But, his use of clear language means you’ll understand what he’s saying, if you don’t tune out first! Rodney’s emails tend to be on the long side, as do his presentations and meetings. He loves a chat, but also loves to fill a sentence with as many adjectives and superlatives as possible, just to make a point! Rodneys, keep using clear and simple language - people appreciate this!But, make it shorter! Your audience is time-poor, and everyone is after their attention. Cut out the irreleavant and redundant information, and get to the point.

What kind of communicator are you?

Everyone has their own communication style. Once you know what yours is, you can keep doing the things that work, and address the things that need to improve.

Quiz Questions

Quiz Outcomes