When Communication Breaks Down

How the CVI Improves Understanding, Communication and Collaboration

Even the strongest teams and closest relationships run into communication breakdowns. We misunderstand one another, we push too hard, or we withdraw at the wrong time. The problem is rarely intent, it's that we're speaking from different core value energies.

The Core Values Index™ (CVI) is the only psychometric personality assessment that measures a person's innate, unchanging nature—what motivates them at the deepest level and how they naturally engage with the world. When we understand someone's CVI profile, we can predict not only how they communicate in good times but also how they tend to react under stress.

→ Even though the Core Values Index has the world's highest repeat reliability rating (97.7%), it takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

Conflict Through the Lens of your CVI Profile

Each of the four core value energies has a distinct style of communication and a distinct "conflict resolution strategy" when things go wrong. Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward defusing tension and turning conflict into collaboration. Here's what you need to know.

Builders (Power)

Normal style: Direct, decisive, and focused on results.

In conflict: Builders tend to push harder. They want quick resolution and may come across as impatient or forceful. Their conflict resolution strategy is intimidation.

Best way to respond: Acknowledge their urgency, show that you're moving toward a solution, and avoid stalling.

Merchants (Love)

Normal style: Warm, expressive, and focused on relationships.

In conflict: Merchants often feel hurt or disconnected. They may withdraw emotionally or try to win back harmony through persuasion. Their conflict resolution strategy is manipulation.

Best way to respond: Reassure them of the relationship, validate their feelings, and rebuild connection before tackling details.

Innovators (Wisdom)

Normal style: Thoughtful, inquisitive, and solution-oriented.

In conflict: Innovators typically argue with logic. They want to find "the best way" and can become frustrated if others won't consider alternatives. Their conflict resolution strategy is interrogation.

Best way to respond: Listen to their reasoning, acknowledge their insights, and invite them to co-create solutions.

Bankers (Knowledge)

Normal style: Careful, precise, and fact-driven.

In conflict: Bankers may retreat into data or shut down until they feel things are fair and accurate. They dislike chaos or rushed decisions. Their conflict resolution strategy is aloof judgment.

Best way to respond: Provide facts, clarify misunderstandings, and avoid pressuring them into snap judgments.

When Someone Has a Well-Rounded CVI Profile

Not everyone shows strong dominance in a single core value energy. Some people have a well-rounded CVI profile, meaning their Builder, Merchant, Innovator, and Banker energies are relatively balanced.

These individuals tend to:

• Adapt their communication more fluidly depending on the situation.
• Show empathy for multiple perspectives, often bridging gaps between more polarized profiles.
• Intuitively shift between problem-solving, action, relationship-building, and fact-finding with greater ease.
• Serve as natural mediators in conflict because they can "speak the language" of more than one energy.

While this balance offers flexibility, it can also lead to hesitation in high-stakes situations as they may pause to weigh all sides before taking action. With awareness, however, well-rounded individuals can use their adaptability to prevent communication breakdowns and build consensus across diverse teams.

People with well-rounded profiles often become the glue that holds diverse teams together.

Why Knowledge of the CVI Matters

Most conflict doesn't come from bad intentions, it comes from misaligned communication styles. A Builder's push for action can feel aggressive to a Banker who wants more information. An Innovator's logical debate can feel cold to a Merchant who needs emotional connection.

The CVI helps us see these differences not as flaws, but as natural expressions of innate and unchanging core value energies. When we shift our approach to honor another person's CVI profile, conflict can be positively shifted into a state of understanding.

Turning Conflict into Collaboration With the CVI

Here are three quick steps you can use the next time communication breaks down:

1. Identify the Core Value Energy at Play. Are they pushing for action, seeking connection, debating ideas, or demanding facts?
2. Respond in Their Language. Adapt your communication style to match their needs, even if it's not your natural approach.
3. Reframe the Conflict as Contribution. Remember: Builders want progress, Merchants want harmony, Innovators want solutions, and Bankers want accuracy. Each is valuable.

Keep Your Communication On Track

Conflict is to be expected, but miscommunication doesn't have to derail progress.

The CVI gives you a roadmap for understanding not just what people say, but why they say it. It can teach you how to respond in a way that strengthens, rather than fractures, the relationship.

When we learn to honor each other's core value energies, we don't just resolve conflict. We build trust, respect, and a stronger foundation for collaboration.

Core Values Index™ and CVI™ are trademarks of Taylor Protocols, Inc.