Introduction to Crew Resource Management — Page 332, Lesson 548

I want to walk you through the next part of our communication lesson. We've already talked about how body language loses effectiveness on the flight deck, and now we're going to look at the specific communication styles you'll encounter and need to use. First, let me reinforce that key point from where we left off: because body language is greatly reduced in the flight deck environment, the words themselves become much more important. That means you must convey your concerns through words and through an assertive style — the way you say the words — and not rely on body language, which will probably be missed. You also need to concentrate on your choice of words; they need to carry much more information and therefore must be more concise. There's also an important point about other people who come onto the flight deck — flight attendants, dispatchers, ground engineers, and others. Because of their different training and backgrounds, they can interpret your turned back as negative body language. So try to show them you are interested and listening through the way you speak to them, and if you can, turn around so that you are at least partly facing them. Now let's move into the four communication styles. Two of these are positive, and two are negative forms of communication. The first positive style is the Supportive Style. Here, the person who is either sending or receiving the message is trying to be receptive to the other person's needs, feelings, or priorities — but without putting themselves down or losing sight of the task. It's often used as an initial helpful prod between pilots, and it's also used to help calm down an agitated person so that the problem can then be addressed. The second positive style is the Assertive Style. The principle here is to convey your needs for the task — for example, "speed 140 knots, flaps to half" — without putting down others. An assertive statement or request clearly states your requirements and explains why. This is an essential communication style on the flight deck. Now for the negative styles. The first is the Aggressive Style. An aggressive communication style focuses solely on the task, or perhaps on the personal needs of the speaker, without any concern for the other crew members. This is a very negative form of communication because it degrades teamwork and inhibits open communication. In extreme cases, this will lead to team breakdown. We'll cover the fourth style next, but for now, make sure you understand these three: supportive and assertive are the positive, effective styles you want to use; aggressive is a negative style that damages teamwork and must be avoided.