When people say, “Read the room,” what comes to your mind?
Although the opposite can be true, my first thought is that someone is being too chipper or flippant relative to the mood of everyone else present. Either way, the individual’s message and tone don’t reflect the prevailing attitude or circumstance.
The concept of read the room had me thinking about a unique voice from my past. The sound of it would not only disrupt the murmurings of a busy office in my early career, but it still occasionally comes to mind and causes me to stop and think. After many years, this seems the right time to share how I have been affected.
A Stressful Office
As the story goes, I worked in the customer service department of a manufacturing company with a goal of transferring to marketing. My plan succeeded. The customer service role provided a good understanding of the company’s production and distribution processes, as well as key contacts, giving me some advantages in my subsequent role. Also, while time has a way of erasing or minimizing the negatives, I have happy memories of the job.
The reps (around sixteen of us) were young and well-educated, so despite some personal dramas here and there, people were similarly motivated and got along. Even so, the environment was not stress free. While striving to please and placate our income producers (commercial customers, wholesale representatives, and direct sales reps.), we were pulling strings with our connections in planning, production, and shipping to ensure our orders arrived on time.
Having grown up in my family’s retail business and worked in sales for some other companies, the notion of “service” had been ingrained in my brain. I also realized that every conversation shaped my reputation.
Some of my fellow coworkers, fresh out of college, had not yet adopted that perspective, and they occasionally got testy with certain individuals they were meant to assist—primarily, pushy salespeople! Even if not irritable while conducting business, most (and I must include myself in the mix) would vent to a coworker or become moody after a challenging exchange. The atmosphere could get tense when several of us were encountering problems.
Altering the Room
Among our group, one young woman never voiced her frustration. In fact, not much rattled her. Decades later, when I think of people who have a ready smile and exude positivity, she comes to mind. Back then, if something was amiss in her realm, those of us who were around her all day could tell only because her perfect posture and lips would tighten just a bit as she composed herself. Then, as soon as the next person called for her help, she was ready.
In the most charming, eager-to-please Southern accent, she’d quickly pick up the phone and exclaim, “This is Kim!” I can only imagine how many times each day she created bright moments, starting with her signature greeting and proceeding in her pleasant, you’re-in-my-capable-hands manner. (Not surprisingly, she went on to be a highly prized leader in a different industry.)
“This is Kim!” clearly put her customers in a positive mindset, and it also affected the rest of us. No matter how aggravated I might have been after someone tried my patience, hearing her chipper voice made me smile, and my entire demeanor shifted. I witnessed the same visible change on my coworkers’ faces, and we frequently exchanged smiles over “This is Kim!” No doubt, it impacted how we answered our next call.
Kim and I emailed recently, and I let her know how her sweet voice sometimes pops in my head. Come to think of it, this seems to occur when I need a nudge to lighten up!
That said, a smile and cheerful comment at the wrong time might provoke someone to utter, “Read the room.” Of course, we should all strive to be self-aware and tactful, but in any given situation, what would we lose from introducing some positivity? We might stand a favorable chance of igniting a shift in everyone’s perspective—from everything is grim to many things are good.
Cheers to Kim, who did just that without a second thought, and to all others who share her spirit!
Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady Thoughts or questions? Please contact Sallie Boyles, owner of Write Lady Inc., to exchange ideas about effective communications and gain from professional writing and editing services. Receive monthly tips and insights by subscribing at https://WriteLady.com.
