February 16, 2024
People heavily rely on written communication in their day-to-day lives. Debatably, this has become even more prominent in post-pandemic workplaces that prioritize home offices, hybrid work arrangements, and online networking and communication through things like LinkedIn and MS Teams.
Given this, it is important to get written communication right since it can often be taken out of context, feel impersonal, or lack certain content that may arise naturally in in-person conversations.
When you have a rapport with someone, it is fairly easy to interpret their written communication because you know how they speak and conduct themselves; you have their voice in your mind. This can be challenging for new employees, who are perhaps starting a remote job and navigating new environments with new colleagues, since they have yet to establish relationships with those in the workplace. This can be challenging for new employees, who are perhaps starting a remote job and navigating new environments with new colleagues, since they have yet to establish relationships with those in the workplace.
People have different communication styles and preferences which run all the way down to the way they like to receive and deliver information. Even if your preferred communication style differs from someone else’s, it is important to adapt your delivery to suit the other person’s needs. For instance, while you may prefer receiving information about the broader context and your role within it, you will need to tailor your message differently to cater to someone who is more pragmatic, ordered, and analytical by offering a more detail-oriented picture of the situation.
These types of differences become evident when comparing the ways people need to communicate within their professions—for example, the difference between an engineer and a journalist. In a personal reflection, Logan McDonald, a site reliability engineer at BuzzFeed, wrote about how working with journalists made her a better engineer and communicator.
McDonald writes that “[w]hen it comes to explaining complicated topics succinctly and clearly, no one has a harder and higher risk job than journalists,” and that after working in this environment she was able to train herself to implement some of these skills in her own day-to-day work.
“Skills gleaned from my pals in news have helped make me and my team get better at communicating calmly, clearly, and efficiently,” McDonald writes.
This is just one instance where varied communication styles within organizations come together and enable mutual learning.
Oftentimes when there are clashes in the workplace, it is a result of communication hiccups and misunderstandings. A solid communicative process is only effective when people level with one another and can be adaptable in their approach. If you are able to figure out your colleagues’ communication styles, and understand what motivates them or catches their attention, you will be able to provide more streamlined and carefully curated messages.
“It’s okay if you’re not the best writer in the world, as long as you’re cognizant of other people’s styles, motivators, and values, and understand how to package information that will influence and resonate with them. These are really the four key aspects people should focus on when trying to become better communicators.”
Giulia Brutesco P.Eng., Partner & Strategic Policy Pathfinder, Stratesco Group Inc.
As you get to know the styles of those in your workplace, it will be easier to identify what modes you should be utilizing. For instance, while your project lead may prefer quick messages on MS Teams, your manager may prefer more detailed emails. As alluded to above, this can be difficult when conversing with someone new; while you may think that starting a quick chat with a new colleague on MS Teams makes you seem friendly and approachable, they may interpret it differently altogether. This is why it is crucial to get to know the styles of those around you but to also complement day-to-day written communication with oral communication wherever possible.
There is no need to feel discouraged if you do not get all of this right away or if there are bumps along the way. Communicating is a learning journey and something that will ultimately change as workplaces shift and as people grow. The first step, however, should be centred around understanding yourself.
Do you know what your communication style is? A helpful tool to figure it out is a DISC assessment as it provides insights on your communication style, other people’s styles, and tips on how to meet your communication goals. The DISC assessment is a foundational part of our SoftSkillable™ Member Experience, a program that helps members make meaningful changes that will help them reach their career goals.
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