ADMN 233 — Professional Communication Style and Tone
Source: “Professional Communication Style And Tone” by Dr. Glen Farrelly (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), adapted from Business Communication for Everyone by Arley Cruthers (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Style and tone refer to how something is said — word choice, sentence/paragraph length, level of formality, attitude, and positivity/negativity. Every word creates a reaction in the reader.
mindmap root((8 C Qualities)) Compelling State topic and the ask early Active voice Be personal I/you Audience focus Clear Define terms on first use Spell out acronyms Avoid double negatives Use proper nouns to avoid ambiguity Correct Grammar and spelling Facts not opinions Cite sources Concise No repetition No tangents or filler Cut lead-in phrases Short sentences Short paragraphs Concrete Specific words Precise numbers Replace vague amounts Consistent Verb tense Perspective Spelling Naming of concepts Courteous Common words Right reading level Inclusive language EDI awareness Credible Formal register Positive tone Use evidence
1 — Compelling
Professional communications must be relevant and goal-oriented. They satisfy a demand or need arising out of workplace duties.
Always state the topic and “the ask” early and clearly. “The ask” = the item you want the audience to do (make note of news, set up a meeting, submit a payment, etc.). Never make your audience guess.
1.1 Use Active Voice
| Voice | Example |
|---|---|
| Passive | The report was written by Raj. |
| Active | Raj wrote the report. |
Active voice is clearer, more engaging, and uses fewer words. Exception: passive voice can be useful for sensitive situations — “Mistakes were made” diffuses responsibility.
1.2 Be Personal
Use first and second person (“I” and “you”) rather than third person. Second person (“you”) makes clear the communication applies directly to that reader.
- “you” = targets audience specifically; builds engagement
- “we” = establishes commonality; builds rapport
- “I” = clarifies your own role
Exception: “I” is inappropriate when the message represents an entire organization. “you” is inappropriate when you may come across as presumptuous or pushy — use third person to neutralize.
1.3 Focus on Your Audience
Write as if the audience is right in front of you.
| Organizational Focus | Audience Focus |
|---|---|
| We offer our repeat customers substantial discounts. | As a repeat customer, you will enjoy substantial discounts. |
Audience focus is more compelling and memorable. State how ideas fit the reader’s needs; include details that reflect their background; specify what they gain.
2 — Clear
Lack of clarity leads to misunderstandings and time-consuming back-and-forth.
Tips for clarity:
- Define unfamiliar terms briefly on first use
- Spell out abbreviations/acronyms in full on first use, with acronym in parentheses: “Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)”
- Avoid metaphors and symbolism (culturally dependent)
- Use proper nouns when pronouns are ambiguous
- Avoid multiple negatives — “not uncomfortable” = comfortable; double negatives obscure meaning
- When clarity and conciseness conflict, always side with clarity
3 — Correct
Professional writing must be correct in two ways: grammatically and factually.
- Grammar/spelling errors raise concerns about literacy, work ethic, and maturity
- Spelling a client’s name wrong signals carelessness
- Use facts, not opinions; when you must use opinion, label it as such
- Cite sources for all facts, data, ideas, words, or images — plagiarism is both an ethical and legal issue
- Proofread for accuracy especially: names, numbers, dates, policy decisions, legal implications
4 — Concise
121 emails/day average for office workers. An extra minute per email = 2 hours wasted per day.
4.1 Do Not Repeat Points
Say it once, say it well. Repetition is annoying and wastes time (exception: advertising, where 3+ repetitions help register a message).
4.2 Avoid Tangents and Filler
Tangents = off-topic passages. Filler = padding to reach a length requirement with irrelevant detail. If it is not essential, cut it.
4.3 Don’t Tell People What They Already Know
Know your audience’s background. Progress reports to executives don’t need project history — focus on new developments since last update.
4.4 Cut Unnecessary Words
| Wordy | Concise |
|---|---|
| Please note that you are requested to read and offer your comments on the file, which we have attached. | Please review and comment on the attached file. |
Use bullet lists to make key points stand out.
4.5 Cut Lead-in Phrases
Cut: it is this, it will be shown, there are, there is, it appears that, it should be, in fact
| Original | Revised |
|---|---|
| There are a lot of reading assignments in this class. | This class has many reading assignments. |
4.6 Favour Short Sentences
Target 1–2 lines. For routine emails, use all short sentences. For longer documents, alternate between short and long sentences to avoid a choppy feel. Never use more than one non-restrictive clause per sentence; avoid semi-colons.
4.7 Favour Short Paragraphs
Each paragraph = one main idea. At least 2 paragraphs per page. Target no longer than 6–8 sentences. 1–2 sentence paragraphs can make a call to action stand out.
5 — Concrete
Use specific words, not general ones. Replace vague amounts with precise numbers.
| Vague | Concrete |
|---|---|
| We received a lot of complaints lately. | We received eight complaints last week. |
| Sales have been tanking for ages. | Sales of Product X have decreased by 23% since last quarter. |
Replace vague words: lots, many, several, few, more, worse, better, slower — with specific amounts and dates.
6 — Consistent
Inconsistency causes confusion and undermines credibility.
Be consistent in:
- Verb tense — pick past or present, stick to it throughout
- Perspective — do not shift from “you” to “one” in the same sentence
- Spelling — choose one variant (“email” vs “e-mail”) and stick to it
- Concept naming — use the same term every time; switching between “feasibility report” and “viability report” makes readers wonder if they are different documents
6.1 Brand Guidelines and Style Guides
Many organizations have official style guides (spellings, tone, templates). Always use them when communicating externally. Athabasca’s brand guide: brand.athabascau.ca.
7 — Courteous
Customize what you say and how you say it to the needs and background of your audience. Be respectful, equitable, and inclusive.
7.1 Use Common Words Instead of Complex Words
Long words cause confusion and exclude readers who don’t know them. Use words appropriate to the audience, context, and purpose.
7.2 Write at the Appropriate Reading Level
Long, complicated sentences and big words raise the reading level. Too high = aloof and pompous. Too low = insulting. Use MS Word’s reading level checker as a rough guide only.
7.3 Use Inclusive Language (EDI)
Bias-free language avoids stereotyping based on gender, sexuality, race, culture, age, religion, or disability.
How to make language inclusive:
- Use “they” instead of “he or she”
- Use the specific terminology a person prefers for their identity
- Avoid irrelevant personal details (gender, abilities, etc.) in professional contexts
- Describe disabilities neutrally: “Chen has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair” (not “suffers from”)
- Question cultural assumptions: not everyone celebrates Christmas
- Avoid idioms and colloquialisms that confuse English language learners
- Use French accents where required
EDI = Equity, Diversity, Inclusion. When doing audience analysis, consider how different groups might be advantaged, marginalized, or excluded by plans or messages.
8 — Credible
Establish the validity of your message, your own credibility, and your organization’s trustworthiness.
8.1 Adopt a Formal Register
Register = level of formality in sentence structure, vocabulary, contractions, slang, humour, sarcasm, names.
- Too informal → unprofessional, offensive, lazy
- Too formal → aloof, arrogant, out-of-touch
- When in doubt, err on the side of formality. You can always progress to informal as you build rapport; it is hard to recover from starting too casual.
- Profanity and derogatory language are never appropriate.
8.2 Use Positive Tone
Use positive language wherever possible.
| Negative | Positive |
|---|---|
| Your car will not be ready until Friday. | Your car will be ready on Friday. |
| You cannot use the training system until you have been issued a password. | You may use the training system once you receive your password. |
Choose what details to include — emphasize positives. Essential negative information must be included, but also note any positive outcomes where appropriate.
9 — Bonus C Qualities
| Quality | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Complete | All necessary details included; audience never needs to follow up for the full picture |
| Coherent | Ideas flow logically; use transitions; state connections between points clearly |
| Confident | Project belief in yourself and your organization — especially for persuasion; avoid coming across as arrogant |
| Context | Consider sensitivity, timing, audience needs, socio-political climate, historical events |
Conclusion is also a C: All professional messages must wrap up elegantly.
Relationship to the 4 Cs of Editing
The Writing Process reading introduced 4 Cs for the Revising step. This reading expands the framework:
| 4 Cs (Editing/Revising) | 8 Cs (Style and Tone) |
|---|---|
| Complete | Complete (bonus) |
| Concise | Concise (#4) |
| Coherent | Coherent (bonus) |
| Clear | Clear (#2) |
| — | Compelling, Correct, Concrete, Consistent, Courteous, Credible (new) |