Question & Answer: Why is it important for leaders/managers/supervisors to speak in "respectful" tones to staff persons? Expert Answer…

Because of the difference in the level of organizational hierarchy, there could be a natural tendency for a staff member to feel inferior while conversing or interacting with his/her superior who could be the leader / manager/supervisor. Such inferiority complex however can have far reaching effect while it comes to business. Inferiority leads to alienation. Alienation in turn creates tendency of resistance in the mind of staff members.

It is therefore very important for the superior to understand such psychological factors playing in the minds of staff members and deal with it effectively to have an effective two-way communication and keep things moving in the organisation. This means the staff members must be taken on board by his superior so that he /she gets full support of the staff members for effective implementation of any decision across the organisation/ department/unit as applicable. One way to achieve this to give full respect to staff members so that they get the feeling of being equals and open to cooperate with the superior. Such outcome can be possible only when leader/manager/supervisor speaks in “respectful” manner to staff members.

The fallout of not speaking in respectful manner could be far reaching including breakdown of communication, management- union rift leading to non-cooperation in implementation of important decisions across the organisation and many other complex possibilities