Beyond Words: How Your Team’s Tone of Voice Shapes Influence and Workplace Impact

Long-time readers know I focus on communication behaviours and skills as the backbone of effective management, leadership, and business improvement. In fact, I often say that 99% of business problems stem from poor communication — and I’m probably not far off.

To advance your career, lead teams, or change an organisation, you need effective communication.

• The person who tells the best stories wins.
• The person who moves people with emotion gets things done.
• The person who articulates a bright future inspires others to follow.
• The person who identifies problems, explains them clearly, and motivates solutions improves the business.
• The person who influences effectively builds relationships and garners support.

Two key points here:

1. You don’t need a formal leadership role to develop influential communication behaviours.
2. Communication behaviours can be learned.

Why Tone of Voice Matters

Once you have a communication plan, the next step is Tone of Voice (ToV).

Tone of Voice is the visible expression of your brand — whether that’s you, your team, or your business. It’s how people instantly recognise your communications in emails, presentations, internal social posts, or documents.

In large organisations, corporate branding guidelines can make it hard to sound like you. The result? Generic communication that goes unnoticed. Your ToV is how you break through the noise while staying authentic.

Starting Your Tone of Voice

Your ToV should look, feel, and sound like you. Keep it simple, consistent, and applicable across all communication. Think of it as the way your brand, values, and personality are personified.

A strong ToV:

• Connects people.
• Builds awareness.
• Builds trust.
• Influences, moves, and aligns others.

Remember: Work isn’t done until someone knows about it. Your team may not always get recognition, and others will fill the silence with speculation if you don’t communicate effectively.

My Simple ToV Framework

Here’s my “out-of-the-box” approach. Think of it as a starting point — adapt it for your team and culture:

1. Be Human
Sound like a person. Be friendly and positive. Don’t shy away from hard truths, but avoid dragging others down.

2. Keep it Simple
Break down complex ideas into digestible, understandable language. Explain concepts as you would to someone new. Short words, short sentences, no jargon.

3. Use Humour
Light-hearted humour engages and connects people. Use wisely and contextually.

4. Don’t Preach or Brag
Share achievements as acknowledgment, not self-promotion. Respect other teams and perspectives.

5. Ladder Content
Start simple and grow in complexity. Move from theory to practice, easy to hard.

6. Make it Valuable
Solve a problem or deliver insight. If there’s no value, your audience won’t engage.

7. Use Stories
Stories breathe life into facts. They engage emotion and help people remember and act.

8. Define Your Style
Decide on spelling, capitalisation, acronym usage, and overall tone. Consistency builds trust.

9. Make it Easy to Find
Centralise your content and ensure everyone knows where to access it. Guide people back to your “home base.”

10. Bring ToV to Life

• Visuals: Templates, colours, and infographics that match your voice.
• Numbers: Use data responsibly, accurately, and with context.
• Testing: Proofread, simplify, and ensure clarity.

Tone of Voice in Action

A well-defined ToV ensures every communication piece — email, presentation, or document — is immediately recognisable, valuable, and aligned with your objectives.

It grows with your team, adapts with feedback, and helps you own your narrative, build trust, and align others. Leaders who consistently use ToV see better engagement, clearer communication, and stronger team cohesion.

Without it, messages are inconsistent, sporadic, and often ignored. With it, you influence, inspire, and lead effectively.

Key Takeaway:
Define your Tone of Voice. Use it consistently. Let it reflect your personality and values. And watch as your communication starts to work harder for you, your team, and your organisation.