Personality and Communication

How much of a part does personality play when it comes to communication? If someone has an outgoing, bubbly, engaging personality, for instance, are they better able to connect with others and establish two-way exchanges than those who are introverted or have a more insular persona? I would say the odds are very much in favor of the person who is more out-going than the one who is not. Even if the exact messages are the same, all of us are more inclined to pay closer attention to the person who is more engaging than the one who is not. But before I totally sign off on this question, some caution needs to be inserted here: in my view personality only goes so far. It may help one get their foot in the door, so-to-speak, but it does not guarantee they are going to be invited to pull up a chair and stay.

This is where we come to my basketball analogy. I am six feet tall. If I am matched against a person who is five inches shorter than me for a a game of one-on-one, then the betting odds would make me the heavy favorite. But height is only aspect of basketball. There are others that are equally important: speed, shooting accuracy, quickness and ball-handling ability. If I am not particularly adept at any of those and my shorter opponent is, then my height advantage may not mean all that much. The same holds true for personality and communication. Having a so called personality advantage takes one only so far and can easily be overshadowed by other qualities: sincerity, articulateness, command of information and ability to listen.

At first, the tallest person on the basketball court may dominate the crowd's attention just as a gregarious person may be the focus of their audience. But one should never be under the illusion these traits are all that it takes to be either a star player or successful communicator. Neither basketball nor communication is that easy. In communication, it all begins with the quality of the message. If that is fluff, misleading or inartfully presented, then no degree of outgoing personality will reverse it to the sustained satisfaction of a public. Because communication occurs on ever-shifting ground, as many ingredients to make it work as possible are needed. An outgoing personality can be one of them. But for those who may not be outgoing by nature, then take heart: there are lots of other variable in the communication mix that, collectively, contribute a whole lot more.