Bold language may illumine with lightning’s brilliance, but it can also scorch with lightning’s shock. Recently, I saw a memo from a manager to his department members who were exploiting the use of company-issued mobile phones a little too freely. Too often, employees could not reach one another for business purposes because personal use of the phone kept it occupied. Clearly, the company was losing some productivity.
ACCUSATIONS OF ABUSE
Even though the memo shows that the manager didn’t lose his temper, his repeated reference to “abuse” grated on the employees more than their honking alarm clocks did earlier the same morning. With this wording, the memo’s tone took an exasperatingly authoritarian turn. The manager not only sprinkled the hot-button word throughout the document, but he also threw it into the subject line so that the word could stare at the reader with all the intimidation of a tyrant’s scowl. I don’t question that some workers were abusing a privilege, but abuse is a loaded term. Sure, workers can abuse a privilege, but abuse can also come from parents to children, from supervisors to workers, and from governments to citizens. For readers who have seen real abuse, the term carries baggage that has crashed down onto their toes too many times.
CONSTRUCTIVE CONFRONTATION
To improve the tone, the writer could follow one of several revision tactics:
1. Use a softer or neutral term. Instead of “abuse” of company phones, write “misuse” or even “use.” The rest of the memo will supply context to make it clear that you are referring to negative use.
2. Express the desired change positively. Change the subject line from “Tackling the problem of phone abuse” to “A more productive approach to phone use.”
3. Confront less directly. Instead of a straightforward approach, move your statement of the offense outside the main clause (illustrated below). The revision displays an opening clause that not only pushes the reader toward the main clause but also gives the writer a chance to show optimism for the future. No: “Beginning immediately, this phone abuse must stop.” Yes: “Although this use occurred too much last month, I know that we’ll see better productivity now.”
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
When we sense that we’re being confronted, we raise our defenses, sensing an imminent attack. Words that would otherwise appear as innocent as tea light candles can look like flaming arrows during confrontation. One reason that people hate to confront is that so many things can go wrong. Paul Tripp, the author of the book War of Words, proposes the acronym “ENCOURAGE” to keep nine things in mind as you confront. Nine things? I don’t know about you, but I have trouble keeping more than two things in mind at a time. That’s why good workplace professionals develop good communication habits. When certain skills become as automatic as tying your shoe, you can focus on the more challenging ones.
GET THAT FIRE UNDER CONTROL
The writer of the “abuse” memo is not within my organization; I don’t even know him personally. (In fact, I have changed several details to protect the guilty.) Believe it or not, the rest of the document shows the writer to be an amiable manager, who displays effective boldness in the rest of the memo. But his unfortunate word choice burned some rapport with his workers. And in the perspective of some, this small, uncontrolled fire charred the whole message.
Article by Alfredo Deambrosi. Visit www.OnTargetEnglish.com for more information.
