How important is the tone of your communication ?

Good morning and welcome back to another edition of Soft Skills at Work!

I hope you’re having a great start to your day and staying productive.

• Many people believe that being fluent in English means you’re a great communicator, but that’s not always true.
• Effective communication is also about using the right tone and words to ensure the other person understands and listens carefully.
• In the workplace, your tone matters a lot. It helps build good relationships, have better conversations, and solve important problems.
• Whether you’re discussing a project or trying to agree on something, the way you speak can make a big difference.
• Look around your company, and you’ll see people with different ways of speaking and behaving. Some are quick and direct, while others are calm and thoughtful.
• Some people are very aggressive when they speak.
• They don’t listen, and when you talk to them about work, you quickly realize it will be difficult to work with them.
• Then, there are people who are always calm and composed, listening to you patiently. You’ll also meet people who are always negative.
• No matter what you say, their response will be negative
• Throughout my almost ten years of experience, I’ve met hundreds of people.
• I don’t want to sound like one of those influencers who give talks, but it’s normal to interact with many people over a decade, especially if you work in a corporate setting.
• I won’t get into theories, but you’ll come across many different behaviors and tones in people in your career.

I’ll highlight three common types that you’ll likely find relatable.

The Aggressive, Busy, and Always in a Hurry Person

• They are often the busiest person in the office.
• When you call them or meet them, they talk quickly and always seem rushed, making it hard to have a proper conversation.
• Their tone is usually bossy and impatient. If you say something that disagrees with their views or ask them to do something, they might become aggressive and won’t listen to your points, even if they’re valid.
• This tone and behavior can frustrate colleagues, making them feel rushed, like their concerns aren’t being heard.

The Calm and Composed Listener

• I really appreciate people with this behavior.
• When you approach them, they give you their full attention and listen patiently, no matter how stressful the situation is.
• Even if you make a big mistake, they’ll try to understand the situation before jumping to conclusions.
• They let you express yourself fully, even if you speak loudly or harshly, and they make you feel valued. This helps calm your anger and encourages logical thinking.
• They carefully evaluate the situation.
• This kind of behavior and tone creates a safe environment for sharing ideas and concerns, building trust, and fostering collaboration within the team.
• Everyone feels heard and valued.

The Person Who Always Sounds Negative

• Lastly, this is the person who makes you question every decision you make.
• They always focus on the negative and complain about work.
• When asked to step outside their comfort zone, they create issues and lower the team’s morale.
• They talk more about problems than solutions and remember failures more than successes.
• When asked for their opinion on new ideas, they list problems without exploring them further.
• There’s a difference between being negative and being critical.
• Being critical can lead to productive discussions and self-improvement, while a negative mindset usually avoids meaningful conversation and decreases overall efficiency and team morale.

Thank you for reading and following up on the newsletter. Have you come across any of these types of people in your organization?

• If you have any topics related to soft skills that you’d like me to cover, feel free to reach out to me via DM or leave a comment.

I’d love to hear your suggestions

Follow me at Mustufa Petiwala

Follow my hashtag that I use always #mustufapetiwala