Example: Jan talks badly - but Sarah answers happily
A respectful tone of communication is contagious, but so is a tone that’s not respectful. The shop is packed with customers, and they’re one person short. Everyone is going the extra mile to get things done.
Jan is busy unpacking boxes and is annoyed at the way his colleagues are going about things. So, his is talking rudely to his colleagues. Rikke snaps back angrily and hurries off, but Sara overhears them and responds in a cheerful and positive tone.
Respectful communication or poor communication
“Our tone of communication can be direct but it’s always caring” or “We have a casual style of communication but we also have competitive spirit” are some of the typical answers to what style or tone of communication a workplace has. It’s all about how you communicate with one another at the workplace.
The way in which you talk to and about each other at the workplace reflects whether you trust and respect each other, for example, and how you regard each other’s work and status.
Being respectful when you communicate with one another at the workplace is a sign that you respect each other and have a culture of collaboration. A respectful tone of communication is contagious, but so is a disrespectful tone.
Just kidding
Irony and sarcasm can characterise the tone of communication at a workplace, and can affect the psychosocial working conditions negatively. This is because people perceive irony and sarcasm differently. For example, some people perceive irony and sarcasm as demeaning or hurtful, and you may not know this.
Scolding and teasing is also sometimes perceived more literally than intended.
Body language and distancing
We communicate not only through spoken words but also through our body language and behaviour, for example by being silent or physically distancing ourselves from someone.
We are often not aware of the way in which we speak and behave, for example if we’re very busy or are having a bad day, but others notice and may react by becoming insecure or being annoyed with the person behaving inappropriately.
Give constructive feedback
Constructive feedback focuses on the matter at hand, not the person. For example, if you say, “You never tidy up after your shift,” it can seem accusive and may start a conflict.
You should stay on your own turf, so to speak, and describe your experience of the situation and explain your needs. Instead you could say: “Can we agree to tidy up after each shift so that when we arrive for work the shop is tidy and we’ll be ready to serve the customers?”