In our professional development journeys, we're always thinking about improving our communication, right? Hint, hint. Even if you feel like you have open channels among your fellow office mates, you could always make your communication skills stronger. Or, what if (eek! gasp!) your communication is not as good as you think it is? What if co-​workers have a hard time talking with you but you don't even realize it? Yikes!

Take a moment to reflect on your recent inter-​office interactions. Anything seem a bit off? Could you possibly be perceived as disrespectful? Are you being disrespected? Vanessa Echevarria wrote about improving communication for CareerXchange.com.

Echevarria said respect is the key to creating a harmonious and balanced work environment among all co-​workers in the workplace. "Respect is directly correlated to company morale," Echevarria wrote. "If an employee feels respected, they will treat others with respect. In situations where communication has degraded, or stopped completely, respect tends to become lost among negative emotions." The truth is, disrespect throws off the balance of the group.

Improving communication with your co-​workers comes down to speaking with respect. Always remember that you have to give respect to get it back.

"When you address your co-​workers, how do you speak to them?" Echevarria asked. "Are you speaking with them or to them? Perhaps at them? It is easy when stress builds to speak with a demanding or negative tone." Keep it professional by constantly using a respectful tone and language. "Do you forget to add please and thank you? These simple words are key signals of respect.," Echevarria said. Your co-​workers "will notice, and follow your example, causing them to listen more closely to what you have to say, increasing coworker communication almost immediately."