How Leadership’s Words Shape a Workplace’s Culture

“Hoist the sails and weigh the anchors!” calls the captain – at least in the films.

While you probably won’t hear similar phrases from a modern captain, communication between the captain and crew remains paramount to a safe voyage.

Words do more than help a team work well together. Words shape your culture.

Learning the subtle art of communication helps each team member speak with empathy and a listening ear, improving company productivity, employee engagement, and company culture.

Learn five strategies to enhance company communication and build a stronger business culture.

5 Ways to Use Words to Shape Your Culture

Here are five essentials of team leadership to build a healthy company culture through powerful words in the workplace.

1. Build a Shared Language

According to 86% of employees and executives, they can trace most workplace failures back to ineffective communication.

Creating shared language in your workplace opens the door to clearer communication. Shared language keeps everyone on the same page about word meanings and communication expectations.

Below is a screenshot from a video where one team member assumed EOD meant the end of December. Hopefully, your employees know EOD does not refer to December. However, do they know what time and time zone EOD refers to? Miscommunications can start that small and then spiral into much larger issues.

Misunderstandings can occur across ages, cultures, and departments.

Image from TikTok

Alt-Text: Employee misinterprets EOD as the end of December.

Shared language goes beyond simply unifying your definitions. It extends to the core of communication and who you are as a company. You want everyone to share those values and attitudes when interacting with one another so they can help move the company toward the same goals.

2. Prioritize Empathetic Listening

One of the most powerful replies you can give is attentive silence.

Taking time to listen before speaking makes all the difference in your communication’s effectiveness.

As you listen, monitor what you do in those silences. Only 7% of communication comes from the words you say. The other 38% comes from how you say it, and 55% of communication is nonverbal.

You would think twice before boarding a ship with a captain who wrapped his arms tightly around his body, chewed his lip nervously, avoided eye contact, and shuffled his feet. He could say he’s a confident captain, but everything about him screams otherwise.

Use your face, inflection, and body to convey a confident leader who is also ready to listen, learn, and respect the other person.

Then, use your ears to listen to what others say, asking questions to understand their viewpoints fully.

3. Unify Speech Around Your Value, Vision, and Mission

Your values, vision, and mission outline what culture you strive for. Pattern your words to that culture.

Find words that reflect the type of business you want to be. Are you a people-first business that cares about making it right with your customers? Start by being a people-first business that cares about making it right with your employees.

A business that prides itself on excellence should also prioritize excellent communication. The leadership should validate those who do well and encourage those struggling to improve. Every word they say should transform excellence into more than a plaque on the wall.

Clearly communicate those values, visions, and missions to everyone within your organization so you can have accountability and reach for the same goals in communication and beyond.

4. Encourage Shared Strengths and Voice

When a large group talks together, they can easily overlook a quiet person in the crowd. However, that silent voice quickly gains confidence if they find just one person who makes eye contact and is willing to listen to them despite the noise.

Some people have a strong voice and words that will boost your company. They simply do not feel like they have a platform to speak on.

Encouraging people to share their strengths and ideas encourages more communication and creative flow. It gives everyone on the team a voice, building a stronger culture that everyone is part of. You can enable this by asking each person for feedback and validating their ideas when they speak up.

5. Employ Empathetic Speech

Empathy enables you to see beyond someone’s actions and understand their motives, which can then help you discover more significant issues.

When you see mold on a sail, your first thought is most likely how you stored it, and you think back to whether you let it fully dry rather than simply deciding how to clean it. Identifying the reason behind the problem allows you to fix and prevent it from happening in the future.

When someone comes to you with a problem, listening and asking questions to understand the root cause and emotions behind the issue will improve overall communication. The response should be the same, whether your employee comes to you with a seemingly benign issue or a disrespectful attitude. Start by understanding before passing judgment.

You will see something incredible occur afterward. Your employees will begin to trust you and come to you more often with their questions and concerns because you listen to their voices, empathize with them, and validate their concerns. Deloitte Digital found Gen Zers agree empathy is the second most important quality in a boss. However, most bosses only rate empathy fifth on their list, creating a divide. It’s time to close that divide and engage your new talent.

Build a Motivated Workforce with Culture-Driven Words

If you want to understand how healthy your company is, look no further than the conversations floating around the workspace. Are they spewing toxicity and negativity? Or are they reflecting your company’s vision, mission, and values?

If you’re ready to see a change in your workplace culture through culture-driven words, begin by working on how you speak to others to demonstrate what type of culture you want.

We can help you craft those powerful culture-shaping words in our Full Sail Leadership Academy. Discover your company culture and learn new ways to share it with your team so you can sail full speed ahead with the winds of success.

Learn more about our upcoming leadership workshops.