Question 1

What is COMS Communication Styles?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

How is COMS different from other assessments?

Accepted Answer

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 receive a score and then practise applying the framework with your team. This ensures the learning is memorable, relevant, and directly tied to how you work together.

Question 3

What are the four COMS styles?

Accepted Answer

COMS identifies four distinct approaches. Commanding is decisive and focused on results. Outgoing is persuasive and motivational. Measured is steady and relationship-oriented. Systematic is analytical and detail-driven.

Question 4

How does the COMS workshop run?

Accepted Answer

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 practise new strategies in a safe environment.

Question 5

Can COMS help address team conflict?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

Is COMS only for leaders?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

How long is COMS training?

Accepted Answer

COMS sessions run anywhere from 90 minutes to a full day, depending on what you want the session to achieve. The assessment itself takes less than 10 minutes to complete, so the rest of the time goes into interpretation, discussion, and practice. A 90-minute session works well as an introduction or as an opener within a larger offsite, giving your team the shared language and the grid. A half-day allows for deeper exploration of how styles interact in your specific team. A full day makes room for extended application work, scenario practice, and building the framework into how your team runs meetings and makes decisions. We will recommend a length based on your goals, your team size, and how much time you realistically have.

Question 8

Is COMS delivered in person or virtually?

Accepted Answer

Both, and we also run hybrid sessions where some participants are in the room and others join remotely. In-person delivery works well when you want the energy of a shared space, particularly for the movement-based exercises that help people physically map themselves on the grid. Virtual sessions use collaborative tools to recreate that experience, with digital grids, breakout rooms, and structured activities that keep participation high across screens. Hybrid sessions need more deliberate design so remote participants stay equally involved, and we build that into the plan from the start. Tell us your situation and we will design the format around it.

Question 9

What outcomes can you expect from a COMS session?

Accepted Answer

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.