# How do I learn to be well-spoken at work **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-learn-to-be-well-spoken-at-work/691239 "2014-06-20T20:01:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-learn-to-be-well-spoken-at-work/691239/21 "2014-06-22T17:38:42Z")
Maybe I could have done a better job framing the question. There is lots of advice here that makes sense for people looking for basic professionalism- which Isn’t really the situation here. There are specific techniques being used here. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-learn-to-be-well-spoken-at-work/691239/22 "2014-06-24T00:34:32Z")
I would memorize every episode of Frasier. (I’m only half-joking) ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-learn-to-be-well-spoken-at-work/691239/23 "2014-07-12T07:47:04Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > “You will speak well if you were raised correctly and are an honorable person!” > > Piffle. It is fascinating to read some of the posts to this thread. Ill-informed and seeking to portray this as some moral or ethical challenge. That is simply not so. Most people who have learned the specific skills mentioned in the OP learned those specific skills the same way they learned their other specific social skills. From their parents. This is not a constructive response, but it is a direct answer to the question posed. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-learn-to-be-well-spoken-at-work/691239/24 "2014-07-12T11:11:51Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Most people who have learned the specific skills mentioned in the OP learned those specific skills the same way they learned their other specific social skills. From their parents. > > This is not a constructive response, but it is a direct answer to the question posed. You have never held an executive, or even a management position at a large or small company, eh? Your response is similar to someone asking how to build a cost/benefit analysis to assess the value of investment alternatives and you telling them “your parents would say: Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish!” Thanks for that. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-learn-to-be-well-spoken-at-work/691239/25 "2014-07-12T19:30:21Z")
Seems like there’s a big difference between articulacy and general communication excellence. I know a few people who are original, creative and effective speakers, say when giving a talk, but pretty poor communicators in general - I lean that way myself. You can’t really train originality in expression, by definition, but it doesn’t sound like that’s the issue. It’s more that the person in the OP has the nuts and bolts of communication absolutely nailed and is able to add her own personal touch. For sure you could train in this area. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-learn-to-be-well-spoken-at-work/691239.md?page=1)