Pros and Cons of Passive Aggressive Communication

What is 'Corporate speak'?

Corporate speak is typically agreed to be a style of communication largely used in business, formal, or otherwise professional settings. This kind of speech is typically characterized by very underhanded phrasing and borderline or outright sarcastic statements, often softened or made to be more acceptable in delivery by an extremely friendly or optimistic tone. For example, one of the most common phrases, "Glad you could join us", is often said regarding someone who may not have arrived in the most friendly or timely manner. While not every word uttered in a workplace or formal setting has some kind of malicious double meaning, it is extremely important to be aware of subtle social cues.

Pro: Lessening of Outright Hostility and Conflict Avoidance

While corporate speak has accumulated a negative connotation, it is not always used for snide and derogatory purposes. Corporate speak can be used in situations in which one may need to say something that could come off harshly said any other way. For example, if a coworker has a rather obnoxious habit of asking questions of which the answers could be easily found in previous emails, directly telling them to reread previous communication could be misconstrued and interpreted as rude and blunt. However, the phrase, "As per my previous response," can provide a gentle reminder that one can investigate previous emails or messages for answers to simple questions, when used tastefully, of course.

Another aspect of corporate speak is unassertive communication, meaning that one could make a point without it seeming cruel or unnecessarily demanding. A great scenario to think of is when someone may be shirking duties or failing to meet expectations, one might say "We could do better with meeting our goals and performing tasks efficiently", instead of using confrontational language such as "you" in group settings. While this can prevent individuals from feeling directly attacked, forms of indirect communication can, at times, be a double-edged blade.

Con: Confusion and Workplace Tension

It can be extremely difficult to approach certain issues in formal settings, and sometimes indirect communication backfires, and results in being perceived as fake or underhanded. The workplace is no stranger to hierarchy, and that hierarchy is often what separates underhandedness from firmness. If one were to envision that Employee A was frequently late to work due to personal issues, and a coworker of the same level, Employee B, made a remark in a group setting about how timeliness was important, and the entire group should work towards it, the reaction may be very different from if a supervisor were to do the same thing. The key difference is that a supervisor's job is to manage a set group of employees and their work, while a regular employee does not have that responsibility required of them. Following the previous example, if Employee B were to have a perpetual habit of making similar remarks, other employees might come to view Employee B as seeing themselves as superior to the rest of the employees or unable to mind their own business. This kind of scenario is extremely common in corporate spaces, and may as well be inescapable. Moving away from pointed remarks and hostile work environments, sometimes corporate speak is not taken offense to, but rather the opposite.

Overgeneralized observations about coworker behavior and oblivious confusion go hand in hand. Sometimes corporate speak, instead of being borderline aggressive, can be far too vague for the intended recipient to catch onto, and those same comments that fly right over the intended person's head can end up alienating or accidentally targeting bystanders.

How should one respond to corporate speak?

If one works in a corporate environment, chances are, one will be guaranteed to stumble across corporate speak more than once. While one's first reaction to being approached via passive aggression may be rather volatile, it is extremely important that one does not bring hostility to the workplace environment, even if approached with it. The best and least problematic response to malicious corporate speak is to figuratively be the bigger person, and maintain clear, polite, and assertive communication regardless of how incessantly passive-aggressive a coworker might be.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the usage of passive aggression communication in both frequency and intensity is left to be determined by personal preference. While assertive communication is healthier in the long term, sometimes small amounts of corporate speak are necessary when interacting with select individuals. Regardless of intention, when utilizing corporate speak, it is vital to keep in mind that it can absolutely be just as offensive as brashness if misused or overused. If you are interested in knowing more about business and new emerging practices within the business sphere, follow us on Instagram (@nextstepbusinessofficial) or check out the workshops on our website!

Citations

Koenig, Rebecca. "What 9 Passive-Aggressive Office Comments Really Mean." U.S. News & World Report, 30 May 2018, money.usnews.com/careers/company-culture/slideshows/what-9-passive-aggressive-office-comments-really-mean. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.

Pettersson, Christina. "Communication Styles Can Be Interperted Very Differently by Individuals Receiving the Information from How the Conveyor Thinks They Are Delivering the Information. How Do You Know What Style of Communication Your Audience Is Receptive To? Will They Interpret What You Say and How You Say It with an U." Linkedin.com, 13 Sept. 2023, www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-assertiveness-balanced-look-its-pros-cons-christina-pettersson. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.