Being Different, Together – How Understanding Bird Personalities Can Help Teams Soar

Here are some tips for effectively communicating with someone who has an “eagle” personality type:

Speak directly and get to the point
Eagles are no-nonsense, results-oriented people. They don’t have patience for small talk or beating around the bush. Get straight to the core issue or objective.

• “Here’s the bottom line on what needs to be accomplished…”
• “Let’s cut right to it – our biggest challenge is…”

Challenge them and allow debates
Eagles view discussions as a chance to go head-to-head. They enjoy the mental sparring and being pushed with tough questions. Don’t shy away from intellectually challenging an eagle.

• “What’s your rationale for taking that approach over this other option?”
• “Those are fair points, but what about this potential drawback…”

Put things in a competitive light
Eagles are driven by competitiveness and a desire to be on top. Frame issues as opportunities to get ahead of the pack.

• “If we can pull this off, it will put us miles ahead of our rivals.”
• “This is our chance to really stake our claim as the industry leader.”

Be decisive and take a stance
Eagles respect people who take clear positions rather than sitting on the fence. They don’t respect indecisiveness.

• “Based on the data, my position is we should go with Plan A.”
• “I’ve weighed all the factors, and here is what I recommend as the path forward…”

Provide options to decide between
While eagles like to feel in the driver’s seat, provide them a handful of well-vetted options to choose from as opposed to open-endedness.

• “Would you prefer we go with the aggressive timeline or more conservative one?”
• “Here are the three strongest paths we could pursue based on my analysis…”

By being clear, challenging, decisive and framing things competitively, you can effectively speak the language of the goal-oriented eagle personality.

Here are some tips for effectively communicating with someone who has a “parrot” personality type:

Engage them in enthusiastic discussions
Parrots are highly verbal communicators who thrive on sharing ideas and stories. Have lively back-and-forth dialogues.

• “I love getting your take on this! What’re your thoughts?”
• “That’s such an interesting perspective. Let me play devil’s advocate for a moment…”

Ask their opinion and viewpoints
Parrots want to feel heard and be involved in the process. Frequently solicit their opinions and viewpoints.

• “Before I go any further, I’m really curious to get your read on this.”
• “With your experience in client relations, what approach would you recommend?”

Compliment their communication abilities
Stroke their egos by praising their conversational skills, way with words, or persuasive abilities.

• “You have such a wonderful way of articulating that idea clearly.”
• “I’m always so impressed by your ability to rally people around a vision.”

Use stories, humor, and creative metaphors
Parrots love verbal flourishes, imagination, and injecting fun into discourse. Feel free to get descriptive and animated.

• “Okay, imagine you’re a pilot trying to navigate through this situation…”
• “It’s like that old saying about being up a creek without a paddle!”

Allow some socializing
Parrots are energized by social dynamics. Build in some time for personal rapport-building.

• “Enough shop talk for a minute. How was your weekend?”
• “Before we dive in, I’ve got to hear about this hilarious story from your vacation…”

Don’t be overly rigid or all-business
Parrots can feel stifled by too much structure and rigidity. Allow for free-flowing dialogue.

• “I don’t want to put too many guardrails around this discussion yet. What’re your unfiltered thoughts?”
• “Let’s abandon the agenda for a bit and just riff on new ideas.”

By facilitating energetic exchanges, allowing digressions, and stroking their verbal prowess, you can effectively click with the parrot personality.

Here are some tips for effectively communicating with someone who has an “owl” personality type:

Come prepared with data and facts
Owls are analytical, logical thinkers who value quantitative data over anecdotes. Back up your points with hard numbers and reputable sources.

“According to the market research data, we see a trend…”
“If we look at the historical metrics and projections, it indicates…”
Lay out things in a systematic way

Owls prefer linear, structured reasoning as opposed to tangeants. Walk through your thoughts step-by-step.

“The way I see it, there are three key factors we need to consider here…”
“If we tackle this systematically, the first step is X, then Y, then Z…”
Don’t rush — allow time for processing
Owls are deliberate and need time to think through things. Don’t demand instant responses from them.

“I know this is a lot of information, so take some time to mull it over.”
“Why don’t you sleep on it and let me know your analysis tomorrow.”
Stick to the facts and logic
Owls respect factual integrity and detest fluff, exaggerations, or leaps of logic. Be precise and rational.

“Putting aside opinions, the hard facts we know are…”
“For it to be logically sound, we have to be able to explain the causality of…”
Highlight quality and rigor
Owls strive for excellence and put a premium on diligence and doing things right. Emphasize your commitment to a quality process.

“My plan has undergone a six-step review from the top experts…”
“I’ve rigorously tested every variable to ensure accurate outputs.”
Use their language of qualifiers
Speak using scientific, academic, or legal qualifiers they’re comfortable with:

“The evidence suggests…” “With a reasonable degree of certainty…” “The most viable alternative is…”
By respecting the owl’s needs for data, logic, time to process, and quality assurance, you can effectively communicate in their preferred language.

Here are some tips for effectively communicating with someone who has a “dove” personality type:

Use a warm, gentle tone
Doves are nurturing listeners who appreciate kind, tactful communication. Avoid an aggressive or confrontational style.

• “I’d kindly ask you to consider another perspective on this…”
• “If you don’t mind me saying, perhaps a better approach would be…”

Highlight the benefits to others
Doves are motivated by how ideas/decisions will benefit the larger group. Emphasize the cooperative upsides.

• “If we partner with them on this, it could really help our entire department…”
• “This plan allows us to support not just our team, but customers too.”

Ask for their input frequently
Doves want to feel included and have their voices heard. Repeatedly solicit their opinions.

• “I’m very interested to get your take before we move forward.”
• “Does this sound like it aligns with what you had in mind?”

Validate their feelings and concerns
Doves place tremendous value on empathy. Acknowledge their emotional side.

• “I completely understand your hesitation about this change.”
• “Those are very valid concerns you’re raising.”

Use pleasing language
Doves are turned off by harsh, cold, or blunt phrasing. Choose diplomatic language.

• “It would be appreciated if we could adjust the timeline…”
• “I think we could potentially improve the process by…”

Emphasize cooperation and unity
Doves seek unanimity and cohesion above all. Highlight the team effectiveness of an approach.

• “If we all row in the same direction on this, we’ll go farther, faster.”
• “Let’s come together and get aligned around a solution we can all own.”

By communicating with warmth, empathy, inclusion, and a focus on unity, you can effectively “speak dove” and make them feel valued and heard.