Looking for a new job – again?

Desperately trying for that promotion? In the company doghouse because of something you said during the last meeting? Not getting along with the boss?

Maybe… yes… perhaps… definitely… ?@#!

Well, there’s good news and bad news on the subject. First the bad: The way you communicate can get you fired. Ouch. Research compiled from Yo!JobInfo and Creative Life Solutions suggests that more than two-thirds of fired employees, regardless of the type of business they’re in, were “let go” because they couldn’t “get along” well with others. That’s right, two out of three people that were fired were fired because of a frosty relationship at work.

If you can’t get co-workers to like and, at least, respect you, your job might be on thin ice. Recent studies by both the Harvard Business Review and Fast Company show that people prefer to work with “likeable,” less-skilled co-workers than with highly-skilled icebergs. You know, those who don’t get along.

Now the good news: The way you communicate can get you hired or promoted. Research compiled from the Weekly Reader Corporation and Career World suggests that employers hire and promote candidates based on how well they “click,” regardless of who is most qualified.

In fact, Erika Weinstein, president and co-founder of the prestigious Stephen-Bradford Executive Search recently claimed on JobBuilder.com that landing a job or promotion hinges on “the click:” “Remember, if they have invited you for an interview they already believe you have the right skills, and what they are really trying to decide is if they want to work with you each day.”

Here’s the bottom line: If you want to get hired or promoted, and definitely not fired, cultivate your interpersonal communication skills. In other words, get fired up and take the chill off of any cold work relationships by communicating better. Communication guru and Monster.com contributor, Barbara Reinhold, recently spoke to the point. “Analyze your boss and co-workers’ communication styles. Then, master the art of working effectively with people different than you.”

See, it’s not that you’re “right” and they’re “wrong” and vice-versa. It’s that you’re different. These differences manifest themselves in the way each person communicates.

The warm-up starts when you first understand your communication style. Do you show emotion at work? Do you talk or listen more? Are you more likely to tell people what to do or to take another’s lead? Are you more into the task-at-hand or the relationships involved? Consider your answers to these questions before moving on.

Next, try to accurately assess how another communicates and note how this style differs from yours. For practice, think about famous people in the media. Take Oprah. She’s a take-charge person who shows her emotion during interviews and strives to build relationships even during short chats. Take Bill Gates. He’s a lead-by-example boss, communicates with little emotion, is a man of few words and seems quite task and numbers oriented.

The trick is in the next step: Strive to be versatile in how you communicate with each person, practicing the revised “Golden Rule” – treat others as they would like to be treated.

So, let’s say you’re meeting with your new boss, Oprah. Oh the shock as you watch her stomp out of the office with her hands in the air right after you greet her with a spreadsheet, little eye contact and zero small talk. In this case, your communication style obviously differs greatly from hers. But, without exercising versatility, you’ll never reach your dream of becoming Oprah’s main (wo)man.

Now, let’s say Bill Gates becomes your new chief. Give him what he wants. Trust me: You’d woo him with little small talk, getting straight to the bullet point(s) with some goals, numbers and the like. By meeting people’s communication needs through versatility, you’ll win in the end because you’ll be perceived as the one who “gets it” and – more importantly – the one who “gets me.”

All kidding aside, there’s a ton of research behind this versatility logic and few are born with this gift. If you look at CEOs of Fortune 100 companies, these communication-savvy men and women rose to the top only after learning how to appeal to individuals based on their communication styles. Just ask their motivated, productive employees.

Go ahead! Start melting any icy interpersonal interactions that may be preventing your professional success. First, figure out how you communicate. Then, figure out how others communicate. Finally, get into the versatility groove: Communicate with others as they would like.

Rae Ann Urick is a Professional Communication Consultant.