Talking—whether in meetings, emails, instant messaging, or day-to-day conversations—has moved decisively toward informality. Casual language, now called Casual Speak (or “caszh”), is not only acceptable in today’s workplace—it’s often expected! When applied intentionally, what we call Smart Casual Speak (SCS), casual language becomes a tool for fostering connection, clarity, and trust.
This article will guide you through the process of how we arrived at this point, the distinctions between casual and formal language, the advantages and disadvantages of Casual Speak, identifying the optimal balance, and exploring a new role for training managers—Casual Speak Catalysts. Join the teams that have seen 25 percent higher productivity with informal communication (Vorecol, 2024).
How’d We Get Here?
Generational shifts, hybrid work arrangements, and digital messaging platforms have significantly impacted business communication. Younger workers favor openness and authenticity, choosing quick, plain language—even in professional settings. Gallup notes that Millennials and Gen Z are driving this movement forward (Gallup, 2025).
Work’s fast pace favors brief, informal exchanges. Email and chat often replace formal documents, while conversational language echoes a broader relaxation of workplace norms—from dress code to business etiquette. Messaging tools like Teams, Slack, and Zoom chat now account for more than a third of all internal workplace communication, and about 70 percent of workflows in modern organizations now involve these channels (Vorecol, 2024).
What’s the Difference?
Both Casual speaking and formal speaking practices have distinct features and serve different purposes. Here’s how they compare:
| Casual Speak is: | Formal Communication is: |
| Relaxed & spontaneous | Structured & deliberate |
| Flexible & adaptable | Guided by protocols & procedures |
| Personal & social | Official & documented |
| Relationship-focused | Task- and results-focused |
| Two-way & conversational | Top-down & authoritative |
| Uses contractions, idioms, slang, colloquialisms, relaxed pronunciation, abbreviations | Follows standard grammar, punctuation, and formal language |
| Open to playful tone & humor | Maintains neutral, professional tone |
| Suited for everyday situations, brainstorming, and rapport-building | Suited for compliance, policy-setting, documentation, legal, or sensitive matters |
The key contrasts are both motivational and linguistic: formal language signals reliability and structure, while casual language fosters trust, empathy, and inclusion.
The Upside of Casual Speak
Casual Speak aligns with long-held training insights—conversation fuels connection and engagement. When employees are comfortable “just talking,” they are more likely to volunteer ideas, ask questions, and voice concerns. It increases team engagement by 12 percent and project success rates by 15 percent (Pumble, 2025).
As training managers, casual tone conveys approachability. It signals “we’re in this together” instead of “I’m evaluating you.” For trainers leading webinars or in-person classes, conversational delivery also enhances retention by reducing the formality barrier that can cause audiences to tune out. For instructional designers, it invites learners to engage beyond mere observation.
Casual Speak works best for:
- Explaining complex concepts simply
- Quick responses and collaboration
- Building rapport and morale
- Coaching and team building
- Fostering inclusion
- Setting up formal messaging
- Diffusing tension
- Interacting with close colleagues
Despite these strengths, trainers and leaders must watch for—and prepare others to avoid—common pitfalls that come with too much casualness.
The Risks of Being Too Casual
Informality has its limits. The 2025 HR Digest survey revealed top complaints about casual communication: vagueness, unclear boundaries, and disrespect for hierarchy (Pumble, 2025). Trainers encounter similar pitfalls—slang, sarcasm, or jokes in chats can easily misfire if everyone isn’t “in” on the humor.
Casual language can unintentionally exclude or show bias. Saying “you guys” in a diverse group may alienate listeners. Favoritism can emerge if leaders communicate informally with select staff. In hybrid teams, overuse of emojis and chats can blur meaning and responsibility.
Quick Risks to Watch For:
- Lack of clarity or detail
- Vague, overfamiliar language
- Unintended exclusion or bias
- Blurred roles or authority
- Disrespect for hierarchy
- Misfired slang or jokes
- Perceived unprofessionalism
- Talking and messaging habits that shift rapidly
Finding the Sweet Spot—Speaking with Intention
As a trainer, your goal is to practice intentional casualness. As a communications strategist, Vautier notes, Channel + Audience + Purpose = Tone (Vautier Communications, 2025). What feels right in chat may be wrong for a boardroom. Organizations should train their employees to read the context and adjust their tone to suit the situation and audience. (see below)
The most effective speakers in any setting will pause, assess the situation and the listener, and consciously decide whether to maintain a relaxed tone or increase formality. Sometimes, taking 6 seconds to reconsider your tone can turn “just talk” into real results: stronger trust, smoother teamwork, and clearer outcomes (Goldberg, 2026).
We call it Smart Casual Speak—or SCS in casual parlance—because it acknowledges that communication or speaking events are (or should be) conscious decisions. Every speaking situation, every audience, and every purpose requires a judgment call—what words to use to convey your message clearly and how to deliver it in a way that will land squarely with your listener the way you intend it to. Your job is to match it to them in a way that achieves your desired outcome from the interaction.
As media options and channels multiply and hybrid work persists, clarity now depends less on what employees say than on how consciously they say it. The best talkers aren’t rigidly professional or perpetually relaxed—they’re adaptive. They meet the moment, fit their message to the audience, and recognize that tone is culture in shorthand.
Example: Give Feedback, Not Finger-Pointing
When offering feedback, SCS softens critique.
Some say: “I was expecting more because I know you can do better than this. You made several errors.”
Say it better: “You know, you’ve got some good ideas—let’s work on it together to build on those. I’ll show you where you should have zigged instead of zagged.”
Takeaway: Constructive, casual language shifts focus to problem-solving rather than blame.
Example: Closing Meetings with Energy
Oprah Winfrey has often said that the last thing you say has the greatest impact.
Some say: “Since you don’t have questions, this meeting is adjourned.”
Say it better: “Thanks for the energy today and for the wins—let’s keep it up!”
Takeaway: Positive, authentic thanks are memorable and boost engagement.
“People will be more impacted by the way you make them feel—the energy you bring into a room or a meeting—than by anything you specifically say. Intention is everything.”
- Oprah Winfrey, Stanford University Commencement, June 15, 2008 (Winfrey, 2008).
(She was mirroring the famous Maya Angelo quote about people remembering how you made them feel.)
When trainers design programs for Smart Casual Speak, the goal isn’t casualness for its own sake—it’s intentional, adaptive communication that helps learners and teams connect, clarify, and achieve better results.
Diversity & Inclusion: Practical Considerations
Smart Casual Speak can boost inclusion when used thoughtfully. Avoid insider phrases, jargon, and humor that not everyone shares. Encourage language that’s clear and welcoming. This ensures informality supports, not undermines, psychological safety for all.
Training Pros: Your Role as Casual Speak Catalysts
Trainers, instructional designers, and managers have a unique challenge: guide employees to use casual tone intentionally—not carelessly. Encourage trusted, clear, and respectful talking and messaging by:
- Modeling Smart Casual Speak—in your own training materials, using conversational and professional language.
- Building tone awareness—have learners convert formal examples into effective, clear conversational language in training exercises.
- Teaching context decoding—use practical scenarios (CEO updates, chat conflict resolution, thank-yous for partners) for tone switching.
- Coaching on tone transparency—have leaders explain their tone choices when necessary to avoid misunderstanding.
- Define digital norms—set guidelines for emojis, abbreviations, and casual cues that fit the organization’s voice.
- Providing tone feedback—not just correcting what was said, but how it landed emotionally.
Real World Case: A Chat Channel in Need of Rules
At a mid-sized company, internal chat became so informal that managers couldn’t tell when team members were serious. Deadlines were missed because “sure thing!” might mean “right now” or “sometime later.” Instead of banning the channel, a learning consultant launched a micro-workshop, “Talking Smarter in Slack.” Employees worked together to create new norms—labeling jokes, tagging actionable posts, and assigning clear emoji meanings. Within a quarter, project bottlenecks dropped 18 percent and morale increased (HubEngage, 2025).
Where Training Goes From Here
Training leaders play a pivotal role in making Smart Casual Speak part of the modern workplace. Whether revising scripts, guiding teams, teaching AI to use a casual tone, or encouraging inclusive language, these skills are essential for today’s trainers.
Hey, trainers, this is what comes next:
- Compare and contrast formal and informal speaking and messaging for you and your learners.
- Adapt your tone in all training modes by context, audience, and purpose—authority for formality, connection for casualness.
- Teach and model Smart Casual Speak (SCS); train for risks, context reading, and inclusivity.
- Encourage flexible, clear tones across channels and cultures.
Get on the Caszh Bandwagon and reap the benefits that Casual Speak brings.
References:
1 Vorecol, “Measuring the Impact of Informal Communication on Team Efficiency,” Sept. 2024.
2 Gallup. State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report. Gallup, Inc., May 2025. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx (accessed October 19, 2025).
3 Project.co. “Communication Statistics 2025.” Project.co, November 30, 2025. https://project.co/communication-statistics/.
4 Pumble, “Workplace Communication Statistics (2025),” Aug. 2025.
5The HR Digest. “How Gen Z’s Casual Workplace Language Is Reshaping Office Culture.” The HR Digest, June 14, 2025. https://www.thehrdigest.com/how-gen-zs-casual-workplace-language-is-reshaping-office-culture/.
6 Vautier Communications. “Different Types of Workplace Communication in 2025.” Vautier Communications Blog, September 18, 2025. https://vautiercommunications.com/blog/different-types-of-communication-in-the-workplace/.
7 David Goldberg, 6 Seconds to Say It Better: Get your point across with the right words & delivery—on and off the job, online, on the mic, on stage, and in person, coming in 2026.
8 Oprah Winfrey, “Stanford’s 117th Commencement Address,” Stanford University, June 15, 2008. Transcript available at https://news.standford,edu/news/2008/june18/grad-61808.html.
9HubEngage. “20 Internal Communication Examples to Inspire Your Team.” HubEngage, September 22, 2025. https://www.hubengage.com/employee-communications/internal-communication-examples/.
