the episode

One of the things I love about having a podcast for 15 years, is my archive.  Buried in there are hundreds and hundreds of amazing conversations that I want to share with my current audience

This conversation from early 2020 with Dr. Yamilette Willams  ( Dr. Yam) is a great example. Here are the key takeaways from the interview on communication styles:

Dr. Yam identifies four main communication styles, which are divided into two categories: outgoing vs. reserved and people-oriented vs. task-oriented. These include:

• • D (Dominant): Outgoing and task-oriented.
  • I (Influential): Outgoing and people-oriented.
  • S (Steady): Reserved and people-oriented.
  • C (Compliant): Reserved and task-oriented.

She goes on to explain how recognizing the communication style of the person you’re interacting with is key to effective communication. For example, task-oriented individuals prefer concise, direct communication, while people-oriented individuals respond better to engaging and emotional conversations.

Understanding communication styles is helpful when pitching ideas or building relationships with clients. By listening to the type of questions people ask (e.g., “what,” “how,” or “why”), you can identify their communication style and tailor your message accordingly.

Business owners and managers can also use this information in their hiring, team building and leadership development processes.

The four styles are not equally distributed across the population.  S (Steady) personalities make up the majority (69%), followed by C (Compliant) at 17%, I (Influential) at 11%, and D (Dominant) at only 3%. This highlights the importance of focusing communication strategies toward S and C types in most interactions.

our guest

Being a business owner during this global centrix world we live in  isn’t easy and Yamilette Williams, AKA Dr. Yam knows first hand. While she has had many  “side hustles” since childhood, her recent endeavor launching Synergy Solutions came out of an unfortunate situation.

Dr. Yam grew up with a father who always demonstrated strength and perseverance for living his dream of working for himself and answering to no one.

So she got to attend “Gary’s Street University” and learned what school can’t teach you – GRIT (the tendency to sustain interest in and effort toward very long-term goals (Duckworth et al., 2007).

Dr. Yam’s mission is to educate, inspire and lead growth in others. She coaches aspiring entrepreneurs and small biz owners both 1:1 and group settings to become confident, prepared and thriving members of the commerce society. Considered a resource reservoir, Dr. Yam loves to share the latest tips and tools to ensure success isn’t a one time event.