What is COMS?
Every team communicates, but not every team communicates well.
COMS Communication Styles is a dynamic, research-backed tool that reveals the how and why behind the way people connect.
In just eight intentional questions, your team unlocks powerful insights into their natural style, gaining the clarity needed to build stronger relationships, reduce conflict, and accelerate results.
COMS captures four distinct styles that show up in every workplace:
Each style is valuable. COMS helps your team recognize, respect, and leverage them all.
Build a Common Language for Your Team
Imagine a workplace where people truly understand each other.
COMS gives your team a common language for communication, simple, memorable, and actionable. With this shared framework, individuals recognize their strengths, understand differences, and adapt with ease.
The result? Fewer misunderstandings, stronger collaboration, and a team that’s aligned and moving forward together.
Great content is only made better by great facilitators
As an Award-Winning Facilitator and the Owner and Founder of Positive Impact, Will empowers people around the world to lead their best life by blending the art of coaching, integrating mindfulness principles with skills learned from over a decade’s experience with one of the top-three best-known brands globally. The result is a meaningful vision and a gratifying journey. Read more about Will’s journey from Coca-Cola to Positive Impact below.
Lindsay was recently awarded the Top Entrepreneur Coach by the Coach Foundation. She is a passionate entrepreneur, guide, and coach. She brings her experience as a director and divisional head, along with an international coaching certification to help entrepreneurs and business leaders achieve the strategic growth, scale and success they strive for. The focus is on building a highly strategic plan, finance model and leadership team to support this growth.
Bringing over a decade of leadership and development experience ranging from improv stages to executive offices, Michael has worked with over 50,000 people across North America in supporting their own personal and professional development.
Jason is a TEDx speaker, author, certified Life and Corporate Coach, counsellor, and hypnotherapist. With training in Suicide Intervention (ASIST), NLP, MBSR, MBCT, psychology, and peer support, Jason tailors his approach to meet each client’s unique needs. Driven by a passion for building more cohesive teams, he focuses on emotional intelligence, effective communication, and self-restoration—the triad of success.
How COMS Works in Practice
The process is quick, interactive, and impactful. Team members complete a short assessment, then see their results mapped on the COMS grid, a simple, visual way to understand where they stand.
Through an engaging workshop, participants discover how different styles interact, practice strategies to flex their approach, and leave with tools to communicate more effectively in every situation.
It was a pleasure to work with Will and Positive Impact. I was both inspired and empowered to co-deliver a meaningful offsite. Their positive incite into leadership performance and emotional resilience gave me clear direction and tactical tools I could apply to my workplace right away. I thoroughly look forward to working with Will again.
– Haley Daniels
Olympian and Motivational Speaker
Thanks for your incredible support, kindness, professionalism, and realness.
It was my sincere pleasure and privilege to work with you on our event.
You are a unique and special human, and I’m grateful that our paths crossed on this project, and look forward to the next time.
– Shauna Grinke, MBA, CPHR
Vice President – People and CultureThe workshop was an incredibly valuable experience for our team — the facilitator created an open, engaging environment that encouraged honest discussion and collaboration. The content was thoughtfully tailored to our team’s specific goals, making the session both relevant and actionable. We’re excited to continue partnering with Positive Impact to build on the great momentum sparked in this session.
– Shannon Charbonneau
Account Director
Treetop Marketing and Promotion Inc.
I’m leaving our session with a sense of optimism that I haven’t had in a while. It was time extremely well spent! I am sure that we all feel much closer and more connected.
– Participant
MDA Geointelligence Engineering Leadership SummitThe environment that was created made me feel comfortable to participate and collaborate with my colleagues. It was very well organized. I liked the outcome of the brainstorm sessions and warmup activities.
– ParticipantThe level of engagement and pace of the training was excellent. Like the fact that this workshop was trainer-guided, but participants lead!
– ParticipantFantastic facilitating most importantly Will understood when to let us talk and when to corral us back on track. Excellent value this afternoon.
– Engagement Workshop Participant
COMS Communication Styles FAQs
What is COMS Communication Styles?
COMS is a communication framework that reveals how people naturally connect and share information. Through eight simple questions, your team sees where each person fits on the COMS grid. This visual makes it easier to understand style preferences and how they affect collaboration. Our facilitators guide you through the process, turning insight into practical skills you can use every day.
How is COMS different from other assessments?
Many assessments label traits but stop short of showing how they play out in real conversations. COMS is built specifically to focus on communication in workplace settings. It combines research with interactive facilitation, so you don’t just get a score—you practice applying the framework with your team. This ensures the learning is memorable, relevant, and directly tied to how you work together.
What are the four COMS styles?
COMS identifies four distinct approaches:
- Commanding: decisive and focused on results.
- Outgoing: persuasive and motivational.
- Measured: steady and relationship-oriented.
- Systematic: analytical and detail-driven.
How does the COMS workshop run?
The session starts with each person completing the short assessment. Results are mapped on the grid, creating a shared picture of team dynamics. We then guide participants through exercises that highlight differences and encourage adaptation. Workshops are interactive, so your team can practice new strategies in a safe environment.
Can COMS help address team conflict?
Yes. Many conflicts are the result of clashing styles rather than intention. COMS provides a neutral language that makes those differences easier to discuss. Teams often discover that past tension was based on expectations, not capability. By reframing differences as strengths, participants learn to reduce friction and build trust.
Is COMS only for leaders?
COMS works at every level of an organization. Front-line groups benefit from improved collaboration, while leadership teams gain tools to manage and adapt across styles. We recommend bringing entire teams through the process so everyone shares the same framework. This creates consistency and makes it easier to sustain results.
How long does a COMS workshop take?
Most workshops last between 90 minutes and three hours. The assessment itself takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Our facilitators tailor the depth of exploration to fit your schedule and objectives. Sessions can be stand-alone or part of a broader development program.
What outcomes can you expect from a COMS session?
A COMS session equips your team with a shared language for style differences and practical tools for daily communication. Participants leave with greater clarity, fewer misunderstandings, and improved collaboration across roles and departments. The framework encourages ongoing dialogue and helps teams navigate challenges with more adaptability, leading to stronger cohesion and long-term effectiveness.
