Major Crunk

Did you know Rapper Li’l John has an ernergy drink named after the type of music he produces? Crunk Energey Drink!

If you don’t know, Crunk is probably considered a sub-genre of Hip Hop music. The word itself is said to originate as a “portmanteau” of the two words: crazy & drunk. So when you slam crazy into drunk, it comes out CRUNK!

Because this musical genre is said to be stripped down to the core of the rhythm by focusing on the beat, usually using a drum machine, I think crunk works perfectly in the Four Sisters Groove for describing some basic core concepts about communication styles.

The key to crunk is observation. By taking some time to learn these key signals on communication styles, you can more easily understand the preferred communication style of someone. Crunk reflects those key indicators to watch for as you are interacting. Communication takes listening and observation. Here’s some of information on Four Sisters Groove crunks.

Facial Expressions Crunk: What is showing up on the face? What do you see there? Do you see an open, accepting expression or do you notice few, controlled expresssions?

Voice Pitch Crunk: Besides the obvious differences between male and female pitch based on evolutionary and cultural development, the pitch produced by the vocal cords can clearly indicate preferred methods of communicating. For example, have you noticed someone afraid having a higher pitch than someone who is at ease and relaxed while speaking.

Voice Volume Crunk: You know you have to listen intently with some folks, and with others you have no problem hearing them from across the room. Voice volume can also predict communication styles.

Posture Crunk: Do you notice a slouch? Do they stand erect and upright? This can present you an opportunity at insight on preferred traits of the other person by watching their posture.

Key Word Crunks: Even if you can’t pick up on some of the visual clues indicated in the Crunks above, you can pick up on key words used as the conversation progresses. Does the speaker use Think terms or Feel Terms? (“I think I’ll go to the store.”) Does the speaker use commands or requests? How specific does the speaker reference time or dates or figures? Depending on the answer to this Key Word Crunks, you can establish a preferred communication style.

Some of these may take some practice to learn, while noticing some of others may come much easier for you. Take the time to observe and notice those folks around you. I’ve often found it interesting to sit in a public place and watch people as they interact in large or small groups to see if I can pick up on these Crunks of Communication. Give it a try, and let me know how it goes.