Perspective Taking
An understanding of your communication style preference in relation to other preferences allows
for perspective taking in interactions.
Put Yourself In Another Person’s Shoes…
People behave differently when communicating, especially
when under stress. Differences in preferences combined with
a lack of understanding of these differences may yield
misinterpretation of simple interactions.
Personal preferences influence
*Kinds of information paid attention to in communications. *Processing time
*Reactions to someone else’s conclusions
*Ability to come to closure
Where Do You Derive Your Energy/Motivation From?
Extraverts
 Energy is outward toward people and
things
 Need a lot of stimulation
 Act first, think later
 Like variety, action, achievement &
working with people
 Express emotions & get energy from
other people
 Attitude relaxed, confident,
understandable and accessible
 Value breadth of experience
In Communication, Extaverts tend to…
 Clarify their thoughts through
conversation. They aren’t necessarily
trying to monopolize the conversation.
 Communicate openly, express emotions,
show energy & enthusiasm
 Respond quickly without long pauses to
think
 Allow time for bouncing around ideas,
talking out loud without definite
conclusions
 Look outside themselves for relief from
sadness or stress
PMC 3.9
InIntroverts
 Energy inward toward concepts & ideas.
 Like to work alone, seek quiet
 Think before act.
 Deep thinkers, want to understand world
rather than change it.
 Need little external stimulation, focus more
on inner world
 Bottle up emotions, can explode if pushed
too far
 Attitude reserved & questioning, seem
subtle & impenetrable.
 Value depth of experience
In Communication, Introverts tend to…
 Need time to process before they talk. They
aren’t necessarily being evasive.
 Appear reserved & questioning. Benefit
from introduction time to foster comfort
and trust.
 Respond to questions like, “What do you
think?”
 Prefer polling techniques for input and
decision making and written responses
where practical.
 Bottle up emotions-may explode if pushed
too far.
 Withdraw to a quiet place and engage in
reflective activity when under stress.
Perspective Taking In Communication
*Goal of effective communication is to keep information exchange flowing and discourage
misunderstandings resulting in emotional road blocks.