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What Kind Of Communicator Are You? Take Our Quiz

What Kind Of Communicator Are You? Take Our Quiz

Plus, 4 actionable steps to become more assertive and communicate with impact.

Sol TV
January 30, 2025

💪 Building Assertiveness: Stand Up for Yourself

🤔 TL/DR: What’s Your Communication Style? Take Our Quiz

🪜 Sol Bites: 5 Steps to Develop Assertiveness

💡 4 Steps to Gaining an Assertiveness Advantage

🎬 Video Bite: Katy Morin on Practicing Assertiveness

🦉 Words of Wisdom

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By definition, assertiveness is expressing yourself clearly and respectfully while honoring your needs and values. Though it is often overlooked in favor of other emotional skills like resiliency, problem-solving, and stress management, assertiveness is critical for your emotional well-being.

Without it, you can struggle with anxiety, burnout, and low self-esteem.

TL/DR: What's Your Communication Style Quiz

For each scenario below, choose the response that best matches how you typically react. Be honest with yourself—this quiz is meant to help you understand your communication patterns.

1. When a co-worker repeatedly interrupts you during meetings, you usually:

a) Stay quiet and let them talk, hoping they'll eventually notice they interrupted you

b) Loudly speak over them and give them pointed looks

c) Make comments about them to other colleagues later

2. Your friend constantly shows up 30 minutes late to your dates. You:

a) Say nothing but feel increasingly resentful

b) Aggressively confront them about being inconsiderate

c) Post social media updates about "some people" having no respect for others' time

3. When someone asks you to take on extra work when you're already overwhelmed, you:

a) Accept it despite your heavy workload, not wanting to seem uncooperative

b) Glare at them about how inconsiderate they are

c) Agree to do it but then miss deadlines and make excuses

4. Your partner decides without consulting you. You:

a) Keep quiet but feel hurt and ignored

b) Start an argument and bring up past mistakes

c) Give them the silent treatment and make subtle digs about their behavior

5. When someone expresses an opinion you strongly disagree with, you:

a) Nod along despite your disagreement

b) Tell them they're wrong and criticize their intelligence

c) Roll your eyes and make sarcastic comments under your breath

Scoring Guide

Mostly A's: Passive Communication Style

You tend to avoid conflict and may struggle with low self-esteem and unmet needs

Mostly B's: Aggressive Communication Style

You're direct but might push people away with confrontational behavior

Mostly C's: Passive-Aggressive Communication Style

You express negative feelings indirectly, which can damage relationships and trust

Remember: This quiz isn't designed to make you feel bad about your communication style but to help you recognize patterns that might not serve you well. Assertive communication— being direct, respectful, and honest while considering others' feelings—is a skill anyone can learn with practice.

Sol Bites: 5 Steps to Develop Assertiveness

1. Take Small Steps

Start with simple requests, like asking a family member for help with a task. Once you're comfortable, gradually speak up when facing more significant challenges.

2. Do Some Prep Work

Before difficult conversations, write down your main points and what you want to express.

3. Link to Your Values

Connect your assertive actions to what matters most to you. For instance, if spending quality time with family is essential, you’ll want to be assertive when setting work boundaries.

4. Reduce Unnecessary Apologies

Notice when you apologize just to ease tension. If someone wrongs you, focus on expressing your feelings rather than trying to smooth things over.

5. Create Healthy Boundaries

Practice saying no to unreasonable requests. Remember that feeling uncomfortable is normal, and pushing through it—rather than shying away—will help you build confidence over time.

When you start being more assertive, people in your life might be surprised by the change. Some might even push back or call you selfish if they’re used to you doing whatever they want. That’s a normal reaction. While the transition might feel awkward, becoming more assertive leads to better relationships, reduced anxiety, and greater self-respect. You'll likely feel more relaxed and less resentful of others as you get better at expressing your needs and setting boundaries.

4 Steps to Gaining an Assertiveness Advantage

Unassertive employees are 3 times more likely to experience burnout and job dissatisfaction.

Video Bite

Sol TV Creator Katy Morin, shares a technique to build assertiveness that actually works, even with social anxiety. The secret? Discipline. Turn assertiveness into a habit, and watch your confidence grow.