Tone of Voice

Watch Sarcasm and Anger

Serious situations call for a serious tone, save the sarcasm for another time.

As a leader, you will be speaking to a lot of people.  Employees, teammates, co-workers, upper management, customers, suppliers, and interviewees.  In each and every case, the situation is different.  One day it could be fun and exciting while the next it is low and serious.  Your tone is of the utmost importance.

There are two, rather important, attitudes that a leader should pay attention to, linked to their tone, which will increase the effectiveness of the talk: sarcasm and anger.

Sarcasm is often used to disguise negative thoughts by softening the impact of a person’s dissent.  It is perfectly acceptable to disagree with a directive or a procedure.  Have the curtesy to do so honestly and directly.  If the company has asked its employees to do something you don’t like, remember that you are a leader there and need to represent the company appropriately.  If it is difficult to hide your distaste, let your team know your feelings; they will make assumptions otherwise.  With that said, give the directive a try.  By attempting it, you will have better knowledge to help you suggest or implement changes in the future.

Avoid using sarcasm to express your feelings.  Some folks, for a multitude of reasons, cannot or do not understand and grasp sarcasm.  The last thing a leader wants is confusion on their team.  You may appreciate and understand sarcasm, but not all do, so error on the side of caution and avoid it all together.

Anger typically is a fleeting emotion.  Most feel it for a short, escapable period of time.  Don’t stir up your team based off of a few seconds of anger.  Your team is watching your example.  Should they be angry?  (The answer is no, no one should ever be angry, but that is a much deeper topic for another time.)  Most issues can be resolved, so there is no need for anger.  Get it out of your system and take a few breaths before speaking.  Calm yourself and prepare your thoughts.  You may be upset, but don’t pass that on to your team.

Make sure you remember that your team is looking to you to set the example.  Send them off on a good foot by understanding your tone when speaking to them.  In particular, pay attention to your use of sarcasm and when you feel angry.  Avoid using sarcasm and calm yourself if upset.