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6.10 Key Takeaways

  • An effective communication style involves choosing appropriate tone, voice, and word choice to suit the context, purpose, and audience.
  • Concrete language enhances clarity and understanding, while abstract language may be used strategically to avoid assigning blame or to generalize.
  • The “you” viewpoint and constructive language help maintain a professional tone and encourage positive audience engagement.
  • Active voice is preferred for clarity and conciseness, though passive voice can be useful in specific contexts such as avoiding blame.
  • Bias-free language promotes inclusivity and professionalism by avoiding unnecessary personal details and gender or disability bias.

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Communicating Strategically in the Workplace: A Resource for Engineering and Science Majors Copyright © 2025 by Karishma Chatterjee, Damla Ricks, and Diane Waryas-Hughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.