You may have also heard that actions speak louder than words. But, how much does this proverb hold in the workplace? If you think about it, there is no better place to test your intentions than in your work environment. Actions are louder than words because what we do reveals who we are. No matter how many good choices you have or the flowery speech, people will judge you on your actions and not what you say or intend to do.
However, being aware of your actions’ impact doesn’t mean you should stop speaking. If anything, it’s a call to use more words in the workplace. Read on and learn why actions speak louder than words in the workplace and how you can bring out the best of both worlds—action, and intention and how to use this sentence in your spelling test—to create a positive work culture that benefits everyone involved!
Actions reveal who you are.
Actions are often a direct representation of who you are as a person. That doesn’t mean that you can’t change your actions, but it does mean that you have to be aware of the impact they have on others. In the workplace, this can mean that people will judge you based on what they see you do more than what they hear you say. When you think about it, this makes sense.
Actions reveal your intentions.
You may not have control over how others judge you based on your actions, but you do have control over your intentions. This means you can decide to act in ways that communicate your preferences to others even if they don’t know them. Even if your actions match what you say, people may not know that unless you speak up. Write down your plans or have a clear action plan for your team. This lets your boss and colleagues know what you plan to do, what you’re currently working on, and your focus. A leader without a clear direction is like a ship without a rudder: they might be going somewhere, but they don’t really know where they’re headed. They certainly don’t know how long it’ll take to get there!
Actions require communication.
Communication is the key to unlocking the best of both worlds regarding actions and words. You might have the best intentions for the team or project you’re working on, but if you don’t communicate those intentions to your team, they won’t know. They won’t know how much you care about doing your best or what you hope to achieve. Worse still, they might not know how they can help you! In the workplace, communication is vital if you want to create a positive culture. Communication can lift the spirits of your co-workers and help them feel supported and valued. You must communicate your intentions to your team to build a more robust culture. It also means being open about what you care about and why you care about it.
How Your Words Can Help You Build A Stronger Culture
We’ve already explored how your actions can help create a more robust culture, but what about your words? How can your words help communicate your intentions and help you build a stronger culture? Words have incredible power. They can lift spirits, create inspiration, or bring people down. When you think about the impact words have on your co-workers, it makes sense that they can be just as powerful as your actions. As a manager, you need to be careful with your words. They can help build your team up or tear them down. Depending on your role and position, you might not spend as much time with people as a manager does. This can make it difficult to talk to people as often as you’d like. Thankfully, there are tools like Slack and Zoom that can make it easier to communicate with your team.
How Your Actions Can Change Culture
If your actions reveal your intentions, they can also change the culture currently in your workplace. If you want to change your company’s culture, you can use your actions to inspire others and be a role model for the kind of culture you want to create. If you want to change the culture of your workplace, you need to be willing to lead by example. You also need to be ready to accept that this might not be easy and that it might take time. No matter how much you care about changing the culture, other people might not be as willing to follow your lead. To help speed up the process and encourage others to follow your lead and create the kind of culture they want. You can talk about what you care about and why you care about it. You can use your words to explain why a certain action means something to you.
How words and actions fit together
The best way to describe how words and actions fit together is to go back to the ship and rudder metaphor. If you are happy to steer the ship in a certain direction, you need a rudder to steer in the right direction. Actions are what steer the ship, while words are the rudder that help you steer in the right direction. To create a healthy and positive culture, you need to use your words and actions to support one another. Only when you use these two things together can you steer your culture in the right direction.
