Communication tactics. Communication Strategies and Tactics

Communication strategy is a general scheme of actions of interlocutors aimed at the implementation of a particular goal. It can be quite lengthy, so it is not limited to one conversation. The strategy consists of tactical actions, the implementation of which brings a person closer to the goal. Today we will talk about what communication tactics are and how they are classified.

Components

Communication tactics consists of the following components:

1. Motivational. Answers the question of whether one or two subjects achieve the goal during communication.
2. Networked. Defines the type of communication settings. They are humanistic or manipulative.
3. Procedural. Defines the relationship between monologue and dialogue.

In a generalized concept, a strategy and its tactical actions can have the following directions:

1. Humanistic-dialogical.
2. Humanistically monological.
3. Manipulative-dialogical.
4. Manipulative monological.

Moreover, each of them can be aimed both at achieving a common goal, and at achieving an individual goal.

Classification E. Shostroma

The scientific literature describes many examples of strategies and tactics of communication. We will consider the main ones. Let's start with the classification of E. Shostroma, which is based on the manipulative characteristics of people.

1. Active manipulator

Such a person tries to establish control over others through active methods. In communication, he never shows weakness, and always tries to maintain the reputation of a person full of strength. At the same time, an active manipulator, as a rule, uses its position in society (boss, father, teacher, older brother, and so on). Doctors sometimes use this tactic in communicating with patients. Relying on the impotence of other people and controlling them, he receives satisfaction. In communication, an active manipulator often uses a system of rights, obligations, requests, orders, time sheets and so on.

2. Passive manipulator

It is the opposite of an active manipulator. This type of people, complaining that he is not able to control his life, refuses any efforts and allows the active manipulator to control himself. Often a passive manipulator pretends to be helpless and depressed. Its total passivity makes the active manipulator do everything on its own.

3. Competitive Manipulator

Such people see life as a competition, forcing themselves to remain in constant vigilance. They perceive all other people as rivals or enemies, real or potential. In terms of communication tactics, a competing manipulator is a cross between a passive and an active manipulator.

4. Indifferent manipulator

This type of people in communication prefers to play in indifference. He is moving away from unnecessary contacts and competition. The main secret of the indifferent manipulator is that it doesn’t care what other people live and communicate about, otherwise he wouldn’t arrange manipulative games. The tactics of communication of an indifferent manipulator can play a cruel joke with him. The fact is that, treating people as dolls, certain inanimate objects, he unwittingly nurtures inanimateness in himself. Therefore, this attitude towards people is considered suicidal.

5. Updater

The actualizer is the opposite of the manipulator. Such a person shows his inner potential more actively than the average individual, therefore his life is more full of events.

The difference in the lifestyle of the manipulator and the actualizer is expressed by four factors:

1. Truth or lie. The manipulator can play any role in order to impress and achieve their goals. The actualizer manifests his worldview and feelings honestly, even if they can, the interlocutor does not like.
2. Awareness and unconsciousness. The manipulator sees and hears only what he wants, which means that he does not realize the true meaning of life. The actualizer is always susceptible to both himself and others.
3. Control and will. Despite the external calm, the manipulator always controls himself and others, hiding his true motives. The actualizer prefers the free expression of his inherent possibilities.
4. Cynicism and trust. The manipulator does not trust anyone, believing that there can only be two strategies in a relationship: to manage or to be manageable. The actualizer trusts himself and others.

The transition from manipulation to actualization is a continuum from apathy and deliberation to spontaneity and cheerfulness.

Communication tactics on the theory of V. Satyr

The American psychologist V. Satir proposed his classification of communication tactics:

1. Prosecutor. The model of behavior of such a person is based on his conviction that everything depends on him. He is not afraid to be known as a dictator and finds a guilty person in any problem. People who practice the prosecutor’s tactics are usually accompanied by psychological problems such as loneliness, self-doubt, the need for self-affirmation, and so on.
2. One who pleases. Such people in a conversation always try to please others, apologize a lot, avoid disputes and use tactics of understanding communication. They demonstrate their helplessness, guilt for everything that happens, and complete dependence on others. As a rule, self-doubt accompanies all people from this category.
3. "Computer". This type includes people who are always correct, calm and collected. In dealing with such a person, it seems that he is devoid of any emotions.
4. Destroyer. Such a person never does or says anything concrete. His answers to questions, as a rule, are not aimed and inappropriate.
5. Leveler. This type of people is characterized by freedom, consistency and harmony in communication. They openly express their opinion, but they will never begin to humiliate the dignity of the interlocutor. A balanced and whole person who professes a leveling tactic, unlike the four previous categories, does not experience its own inferiority and does not suffer from low self-esteem.

The Thomas-Kilman Concept

The Thomas-Kilman concept, according to which there are five tactics (or strategies, types, styles) of human behavior in situations of conflict communication, gained great popularity and wide application in various fields of activity.

1. Competition, rivalry or confrontation

This speech tactic in business communication is especially common. It is accompanied by an undisguised struggle for their interests and suggests that only one participant in the conversation will be the winner. It can be effective if a person is endowed with a certain power (he knows that he is doing the right thing and insists on using his abilities), or when a person is capable of making strong-willed decisions and is not interested in cooperation with others. People who use this tactic of communication, as a rule, satisfy personal interests, forcing others to not only provide support, but also to sacrifice their interests.

If we talk about such a strategy and tactics of business communication as “competition”, then it is not recommended to use it in personal communication, as this can lead to the alienation of the interlocutor.Well, and in cases where the power of a person is limited or is in doubt, and his opinion does not coincide with the opinion of others, he may even fail, trying to act through "competition".

The literature highlights specific cases when this tactic of communication can bear fruit:

1. The result is fundamental for a person, so he makes a big bet on his own solution to the problem.
2. The authority of the leader is so great that any decision he makes is recognized as the most correct.
3. It is necessary to quickly make a decision and the authority of a person allows him to do this without unnecessary explanation.
4. A person feels that he has nothing to lose, he simply has no other choice.
5. The leader understands that he is in a hopeless situation, but apart from him there is no one to lead people behind him.

2. Avoidance or avoidance

This tactic of verbal communication, as a rule, is used when the problem that arises is not particularly important for the individual, he does not want to spend energy on its solution, or the problem is so aggravated that he felt hopeless and gave up. The evasion strategy is used when the individual understands the interlocutor is right or when there are no serious grounds for competition. Usually the use of such tactics is observed in cases where the subject of the dispute is not fundamental.

The psychological literature describes the most typical situations in which avoidance tactics are most true:

1. The tension of the conversation is too great, and therefore it is necessary to ease the aggravation.
2. The outcome of the conflict is so indifferent to the person that he decides not to waste energy on him.
3. The individual has many problems, and he does not need to solve another one.
4. A person understands that he cannot afford to resolve the conflict in his favor.
5. The situation is too complicated, and settling it can be expensive.
6. The person does not have enough power to solve the problem in an acceptable way for him.
7. Trying to solve problems can make things worse.

3. Smoothing or adjusting contradictions

As a rule, a person applies this tactic when the outcome of a conflict is insignificant for him, but extremely important for his opponent. Also, this type of behavior can also be useful in the case when a person understands that the escalation of the confrontation can lead to his loss.

The tactics of smoothing the conflict resembles the tactics of avoidance, because it can also be used to delay the resolution of the problem. However, there is a significant difference between the two approaches. Smoothing tactics suggest that the individual who uses it acts in concert with the opponent and agrees with his decisions. In the case of using avoidance tactics, a person does not try to satisfy the interests of another, but simply repels the problem from himself.

The most common use cases of anti-aliasing tactics:

1. A person wants to maintain peace and good relations with an opponent.
2. The individual understands that the result of the confrontation is much more important for another person than for him.
3. A person realizes that the truth is not on his side.
4. A person understands that if he yields to an opponent, he will receive a useful life lesson.

4. Compromise

If this strategy is used, the problem is resolved through mutual concessions. It is effective when both sides strive for the same thing, but understand that it is impossible to achieve this at the same time.

The most common cases of compromise tactics:

1. The parties have the same power, and have mutually exclusive interests.
2. A person wants a quick solution.
3. A temporary solution and short-term benefits are attractive to a person.
4. Other approaches to solving the problem have failed.
5. A compromise allows the parties to maintain a healthy relationship.

5. Collaboration

This is the most constructive and fruitful tactic of communication in psychology, as it is aimed at satisfying the interests of both parties. Confessing the principle of cooperation, a person is actively involved in resolving the conflict, but does not give up his interests.

Compared with other tactics for resolving the conflict, cooperation requires longer and more energy-intensive work, as a person first determines the needs and concerns of both parties, and then discusses them. If the parties are interested in solving the problem, then this strategy can be a good way to develop a mutually beneficial solution.

As a rule, cooperation tactics are used in such situations:

1. The solution to the problem is fundamental for both parties.
2. The parties have a long and mutually beneficial relationship.
3. Opponents have time to solve the problem.
4. Both sides of the conflict are endowed with the same level of power, or are ready to equalize in order to find ways to solve the problem.

Collaboration is the most successful business communication tactic. For its use, it is worth doing the following steps:

1. Establish the true motives of both sides.
2. Identify ways to compensate for disagreements.
3. Develop new approaches to solving problems that meet the needs of everyone.
4. To illustrate that opponents can be partners, not rivals.

None of the conflict communication strategies we are considering can be called one hundred percent successful or unsuccessful, because each of them can become the only true one in a certain situation. At the same time, from the point of view of modern ideas about the tactics of business communication, which is based on dialogue and recognition of the value of a conversation partner, the primacy clearly belongs to the cooperation strategy.

Summary

The psychological tactics of communication is a system of sequential actions aimed at achieving a specific goal and implementing a specific strategy. The same strategy can be brought to life thanks to different tactics. Tactics can be very diverse both in content and in their orientation, and directly depend on the psychological characteristics of interacting people, their values, attitudes, as well as the socio-cultural and ethnopsychological context of the communication process. Tactics successfully applied in one situation can be completely unsuccessful in another.

Currently available communication strategies and tactics have been presented in pure form. In life, it is rarely possible to meet a person in whose behavior a certain tactic of communication is observed. As a rule, people combine different types of communication tactics to achieve a particular goal. Nevertheless, having general ideas about speech tactics, one can learn to feel people, recognize their true motives and draw up their psychological portrait. All this helps to turn the conversation on the right track and achieve your goals.

The number of strategies and tactics of verbal communication can increase significantly if the subjects of activity are aware of the social consequences of interpersonal contacts. Knowing the relationship between the personal qualities of the subjects, the sociocultural context and the type of communication tactics allows the participant in the communicative process to more or less predict the nature of interpersonal influence.

When choosing communication and interaction tactics in general, it is worth relying on the type of business relationship and the type of activity. For example, when analyzing the prospect of using a monologic and dialogic communication strategy in an educational environment, it is impossible to decide which strategy is better without considering the characteristics of the main pedagogical goals. So, the first group of pedagogical goals is based on the influence on the formation of an individual's orientation. In this case, the application of dialogic influence will be most successful.The second group involves equipping the student with the necessary means of realizing the same orientation. Monological influence will prevail here.

It is worth noting that the dialogic tactics of verbal communication are extremely necessary in different spheres of human activity, since not all statements are irrefutable. Through dialogue, knowledge and skills can change their form and content depending on the context in which they are presented.