The Communication Style exercise is self-explanatory; students could easily complete the assignment on their own. Whether you use the exercise in the classroom or encourage students to do the exercise independently, remind them of two important things: 

(1) The exercise has no right or wrong answers; students should answer in accord with what they would really do in each situation.

(2) The results of the exercise are neither good nor bad for any person, but rather descriptive of a certain part of their self-reported behavior. It is helpful to add, too, that people can learn other styles if they decide there is good reason to change.  Students may be somewhat reluctant to discuss this exercise in class because it addresses a personal quality which they may not wish to share with others (although, students who have worked together in groups during a term probably know one another's styles fairly well). 

Instead of asking students to disclose their styles, more fruitful conversation may occur by raising questions like these: 

1. Were you surprised by the results of your inventory? If so, why might you have been surprised? 

2.  What questions posed the greatest difficulty for you, i.e., where were you sincerely drawn to two different responses? What two styles did these represent? How do your account for the struggle? 

3.  If an individual wanted to move from autocratic to participative, what specific communication behaviors would he/she have to adopt? 

4.  Doesn't a really effective manager need to be able to communicate in all four ways?