By Dianna Booher
Emails and presentations mimic conversation. This can be both good and bad. Good, because our words can seem warm, personal, honest or sincere. Bad, when our words seem angry, sarcastic, aggressive or flippant.
To understand tone, consider the following passages written in different styles:
Communication on t-shirts:
We already told you that once. We need to reduce the cost of gasoline. It will be up to you to make your employees understand how they drive their company cars. Obviously, some people have no idea how much we spend on their city runs on corporate wheels. If gas bills don’t go down, someone is going to kick their butt.
Appropriately and informally:
You already know that one of the main topics for division managers this quarter will be the supervision and control of gasoline consumption. This theme will be hammered home fiercely throughout the year and, I am sure, in the years to come. It will be up to you to set strict guidelines to help your employees better plan their schedules and ensure they use company cars efficiently. I am convinced that a number of our employees do not give the same attention to company cars as they do to their own family cars when they have to buy gasoline out of their own pocket.
Official:
As you know, one of the main objectives of the division managers will be to supervise and regulate gasoline consumption. The company will repeatedly emphasize the automobile economy in the coming years. Managers should establish firm guidelines to help employees better plan their schedules and use company cars efficiently. Such goals should encourage employees to give company cars the same attention as their personal cars.
Pompous:
As any management knows, one of the main objectives of division managers will be the supervision and regulation of gasoline consumption by staff. The economical and efficient use of the automobile will be a recurring concern in the years to come and it is appropriate to set strict objectives for all staff while respecting an effective juxtaposition of appointments within a same geographical area and prudent use of company vehicles. . These goals should include incentives for staff to give company transportation the same meticulous attention they give to personal vehicles.
In general, to choose the appropriate style for a document, think about how you would express your ideas in conversations with the same reader(s). Show concern, be sincere, be direct. But if you intend to be more formal in your writing or presentations, be sure to omit repetitive details, awkward sentences, and grammatical errors that can creep in when you speak or write.
If you intend to be informal, use personal pronouns you we they, And I. And you can add clichés and occasional colloquialisms if they get the message across with impact. Also include people in your speech or document. In other words, use the active voice: say “All managers have scheduled feedback sessions.” No liabilities: “Feedback sessions have been scheduled by all managers. » Who does what makes things precise.
Additionally, active sentences are generally shorter. For example, you don’t read this sign at an intersection: “All vehicles must come to a complete stop.” » Instead, you read “Stop”.
With a more formal tone, personal pronouns still serve you well. They seem sincere and direct. Just omit awkward sentences and grammatical errors.
To select the appropriate style, consider three issues in determining how formal or informal your email or presentation should be:
1) Your relationship with the reader(s) or listeners
2) The subject of your email or speech
3) The purpose of your email or speech
For example, if you are writing to reprimand an employee, your tone should be firm and objective. On the other hand, if you want a great vacation for your colleagues, you will probably prefer to adopt a light and informal style.
Finally, third problem: the goal. The purpose of your email or presentation can dictate a formal or informal tone. Even if you are writing to someone you know well, the recipient of your email may intend to forward it to the board as evidence in support of a newly proposed idea. In this situation, of course, you might decide to replace your usually informal chatter with a more formal approach, without colloquialisms or intentional sentence fragments.
Whether writing or speaking, your relationship with the reader, content and purpose, all three, will determine the appropriate style.
Suggestion: Leave the T-shirt communication to the clothing manufacturers.
Dianna Booher is the bestselling author of 50 books, including Faster, Fewer, Better Emails. It helps organizations communicate clearly and individuals increase their influence through a strong personal presence.