Tone

The tone of communication is actually a large part of the actual communication. When I am telling someone something, I should take care to project a tone that matches the severity of a situation. Staying calm is usually a good default if I want my information to be received well. If I feel entitled to communicate without watching my tone, then I have to accept that my tone may interfere with the message I am endeavoring to send. This is why face to face communication is the best way to give clear instruction. Tone is very difficult to perceive in a text or email. This is likely the reason people in 2015 seem so easily offended. I would be surprised if there isn’t a correlation to the number of offended people and the increased proportion of communication through text, email, and social media posts.