Communication styles vary in how much meaning is carried by the words themselves and how much by context, relationship and what is left unsaid. Some people and groups tend to say exactly what they mean and expect others to do the same. Others rely on shared understanding, tone and what is not said, and may find very explicit messages simplistic or even rude. Neither is better. Problems arise when a team treats one pattern as the default and assumes everyone reads messages the same way.
Feedback is where this becomes most consequential for supervisors. Erin Meyer describes two sets of language tools. Upgraders, words like "absolutely" or "totally," strengthen criticism. Downgraders, words like "kind of," "sort of" or "a little," soften it. In her examples, a manager who used heavy downgraders was understood by a colleague from a more direct setting as offering a mild suggestion, when the manager meant that something had to change right away. Meyer also warns that people who try to imitate a much more direct style than their own can come across as aggressive. The goal is not to copy a style but to make sure the message lands.
For a supervisor in state service, the stakes are high. Performance expectations, coaching and formal feedback can affect a person's career. A message that one employee hears as clear direction and another hears as an optional idea is not a fair process. Practical safeguards include stating the level of importance plainly, whatever your style: "This is a required change" or "This is an idea to consider." Put expectations in writing after a conversation. Ask the person to say back what they took away. Balance positive and negative feedback over time. And learn how each team member prefers to receive feedback, asked of everyone as part of onboarding, not guessed from background.
Accent and fluency also shape communication. Brett and colleagues list trouble with accents and fluency as one of their four challenges. In practice, people working in a second language may be interrupted, overlooked or judged on fluency rather than substance, while fluent speakers can dominate discussion. A leader can slow the pace, use pre-reads and written follow-ups, invite input in writing, and address any comments that mock accents or speech. Where a team member has a disability affecting communication, accommodation questions go through the ADA coordinator or the accommodation process. Formal performance processes follow HR policy and, where applicable, the collective bargaining agreement; your HR partner can advise.
