MnDOT Tone Flexes

Our voice will, of course, shift in response to the needs of a given situation; think of the way you speak differently if you’re at a podium addressing a large audience as opposed to in an informal Teams meeting. It’s still you and your voice, changing your tone to suit the situation.

Situation(s)	Examples	Tone	Guidance
Baseline informative tone	Press release about routine matter Presenting basic employee information and processes Step-by-step guide (for instance, helping someone complete an application) Legislative update	Informative and professional	We want to be straightforward and clear, telling people what they need to know in the most efficient way possible. This is where we balance "confident and competent, without being overbearing.""
Procedural or technical webpage	Presenting deep, complicated data "Explainer" mode / presenting design options	Authoritative and confident	Especially on more technical pages that are focused on specific tasks and processes, we can lean more heavily into the confident and competent side. The underlying baseline informative tone is still present, but in these circumstances we can address a more specialized audience.
Stating our positions/"selling" an idea	Webpages making the case for new transportation rules or initiatives	Engaging and persuasive	When we're "selling" an idea (for instance, explaining why people should zipper merge, or what J-turns are for), we should enthusiastically explain the benefits for the audience and the rationale for the decision.
Slightly relaxed institutional tone	GovDelivery email	Informative with room for a little more informality than a press release	As with a press release, we want to be straightforward and clear; we have a little more room for informality here, although we want to stay well within the bounds of a professional tone.
Fairly relaxed institutional tone	Social media on a low-stakes matter	Approachable and, if appropriate, playful	If the stakes are low, we have the opportunity to humanize ourselves and the department a little by being playful. We always need to maintain a level of propriety, of course, and need to be careful that jokes don’t inadvertently make the department look bad
Internal "watercooler" discussions, highlighting the personal side of the agency	Internal newsletters	Informal and engaging	Internal discussions can highlight the human side of the agency and help us work together better as a group of individuals.
Responding to a member of the public who is angry with us	Email response to a public complaint Communication in a difficult and/or contentious situation	Respectful and acknowledging of concerns	We should be kind and empathetic, and listen to what the person is saying. Kind helpfulness can disarm these situations, especially in writing.
Apologizing or delivering bad news	Informing the public of a problem or a mistake	Serious and respectful	Serious situations require serious language and bearing that respects the gravity of the situation and acknowledges suffering. These are occasions for empathy.