Professional and Personal Communication

professional vs. personal communication

• Professional communication involves the exchange of ideas, information, and instructions in a workplace or business setting.
• Personal communication refers to the exchange of information between individuals in a non-professional context.

In this course, when the term “professional” is used to describe communication, a situation, or a person, the intention is to focus on what happens in a work or business environment. What is considered “professional” and the norm in a specific workplace will vary depending on the organizational culture and context.

However, it is important to recognize that critics of “professionalism” view it as a set of expectations that favors the dominant White culture. Adopting such a standard puts those whose primary culture is not Western and those who are not White at a disadvantage.^[1]

Learn more about how professionalism standards can lead to bias.

Level of Formality

When you consider the difference between communication on a personal level and communication on a professional level, the first thing that comes to mind is the level of formality. In personal communication, you typically use relaxed language. The level of knowledge you have about your audience is usually significant. There is less of a need to be clear and concise and the need to be objective is often not considered. Personal communications are often meant only for a single audience and are oftentimes understandable only to that audience.

Professional communication, on the other hand, is received by an audience that you don’t know as well. Unlike personal communication, where relaxed language and shared knowledge are often assumed, professional communication tends to be formal, clear, and objective.

As technology and social media continue to advance, the boundaries between personal and professional communication become blurred. Your customers are looking to connect with your company on a deeper, more personal level. Technology has turned the 9–5 worker into an always-accessible team member. Because of work spilling into personal time, professional relationships are evolving into something that straddles the line between formal and informal as well. Add to that myriad methods of informal communication platforms like texting and social media, and you can see communication is complex.

If companies with strong brands are going out of their way to connect with their customers on social media and share the human side of their businesses, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t follow suit as long as you feel comfortable doing so.

When adding a personal touch to business communication, keep the following in mind:

• Don’t give up the seven principles of business communication: No matter how personal you get, those principles are still the hallmark of a successful message. Your wider audience still needs clarity, uniformity, and so on. Your goal is to be understood, and to yield a particular business result, and that doesn’t change.
• Don’t get personal to the point of irrelevance: Your co-workers and vendors might enjoy knowing that you’re a huge football fan, but they don’t need to know what you had for lunch today.
• Don’t share details that might not be easily embraced: Be cautious when sharing personal ideals to avoid potential challenges in message reception. Individuals may not respond positively when confronted with viewpoints conflicting with their own, emphasizing the need for thoughtful and considerate communication in navigating diverse ideological landscapes. 
  
  Former CEO of CrossFit, Greg Glassman, was forced to resign after making inflammatory remarks on social media about Black Lives Matter protests. Even though he eventually apologized, more than 1,000 gyms said they would stop using the CrossFit name, top athletes boycotted the CrossFit Games, and companies like Reebok ended partnerships, all costing hundreds of millions in lost revenue.^[2]

Even though professional communication and personal communication are quickly becoming just “communication,” your success depends on being successful at it.

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