Say less.
No subtitle (or subtext) needed.
I once worked at a job where the only effective form of communication was grapevine gossip.
By effective, I mean it was the only way information was shared regularly. And it was efficient, too - we communicated in the form of short, to the point DMs that pinged around the company whenever anyone got any kind of information. No fluff, no delays, no corporate speak.
A terrible system, but it it persisted because it was the only way to share information well.
It did, however, also lead to a rumor that our CEO was dying of cancer.
So no, not a perfect system.
A nice (or nicer) workplace has clear lines of communication.
In other words: We know how to effectively communicate with each other without getting mired in drama or notification overload.
Setting these communication standards is important for managers and humans-in-charge, but it is ultimately everyone’s responsibility to create and maintain these phone lines.
Example: If your company has a policy about sharing info openly, but some people continue to make copies of copies and DM gossip, then the phone lines don’t work. 🤷🏻♀️
How do we do it?
Creating clear lines of communication is two-part - the where, and the how.
First, deciding where we communicate best and how best to reach us.
I’ve worked with executives who’ve asked their team to put quick questions in Slack but longer inquiries to go in email so they have time to reread before they answer. I ask my team to put questions in Slack but to address them at the end of the day in our standup if I’ve not gotten around to them yet. For our clients, I ask them to never DM, but to put messages in open channels so other people can help answer.
Everyone’s system is different, and no matter your role, you should make this system clear to the people you work with.
But second, and the point of today’s newsletter, is the “how.”
How do we communicate effectively?
There’s hundreds of tips on how to create confidence and presence in the workplace, and exercises on communicating well. Those are for another time.
Today, I’m asking you to take one step toward a nicer workplace by:
Saying less.
Let me illustrate why with yet another gif from The Office:
By saying less, you contribute to an environment where saying less is fine. You set an example for not having to over-explain, over-engineer, or otherwise over-talk, for your contribution to be valid. The introverts will thank you. It will also make it much more obvious who is saying a lot to cover up or over-perform. Much better than just rolling your eyes/cutting out your video every time they speak.
In other words: Andy’s blathering back-door brag answers start to stick out even worse.
By saying less, you give room for other people to have a voice. Instead of monopolising conversation for five minutes, you’ve made room for back-and-forth conversation. Less monologuing, more dialogue, better meetings.
In doing so, Andy would actually succeed in building better rapport with Dwight, his interviewer, if he, you know, tried it.
By saying less, you look and feel more in control. I call this executive presence, and it generates internal, unshakable confidence. Think about the person in a meeting who jumps into every silence to nervously fill the air. Then think about the person sitting back & listening before speaking. Who has more respect for the room? You will feel more prepared than ever to jump in when you need to, and to let people fight it out without you when it doesn’t serve you, because you’re thinking through what to do. And if it turns out your workplace doesn’t value this thinking before speaking, you’ve generated the internal confidence to go to another workplace with ease.
Not that anyone enjoyed the seasons where Andy was in charge, but he would have gotten the chance to do so much earlier.
And most importantly:
By saying less, you return directness to your workplace & working style. Which is a good thing. Directness is often confused with being rude. But after living among the Dutch for five years, who are renowned for their directness, I can say that it brings more honesty and trust to work (and most interactions).
Talking around problems is only a step removed from gossip. Indirectly raising issues is only a step removed from ignoring them completely. Saying too much to cover a problem spends more time & energy on a cover-up instead of spending time & energy to fix it. Giving fake non-answers just to brag on yourself is only a step removed from a satiric TV show that lampoons the worst of office culture.
Does anyone trust Andy in this interview? And would you trust someone who gives knowingly false answers instead of just owning they don’t know?
With that, I leave you.
Have a good week!
xRachel