Office culture is tricky, and it is never fun being the odd one out. Your coworkers may love the work you do, but they never talk to you the way they talk to others. It is difficult. Sometimes, it makes you feel like the unloved step-child, never good enough and always out of place.

These feelings are normal, but that doesn’t mean they are inescapable. Everyone feels alienated from time to time. That is part of the normal human experience. However, when people feel persistent feelings of alienation they turn these feelings inward, never addressing how their communication creates these issues. Sometimes this very action can cause people to see you as “disconnected” and the one thing you want to stop happening continues to spiral.

The way you speak to your coworkers dictates their behavior and in turn how they respond to you. When you communicate in a defensive or distant way, others respond in kind. In most cases, when you are in the heat of the moment, you don’t even realize how your tone, volume, and body language directly reflects any internal negative emotion.

Your communication issues can be solved with a little practice, patience, and some coaching.

Discover how my DISC Workshop can help you discover the social butterfly inside of you and improve your communication at work, at home, and everywhere else you need guidance.