Salomey was the definition of sharp. Straight out of university, she landed her National Service slot at Forget Me Not, a buzzing, fast-paced tech firm known for its high performance and low patience.
She adjusted quickly. Always the first to show up. Took initiative. Asked to join meetings, she wasn’t even required to attend. She built vibrant dashboards for reports no one requested. Her energy lit up the office, and her confidence was palpable. It outshined the other NSS persons.
By the sixth month, she was convinced she’d be retained after NSS.
“They’d be crazy not to keep me,” she whispered to a colleague after nailing another presentation during lunch break..
But what Salomey didn’t know… was that the office was whispering back.
The Buzz She Missed.
While Salomey walked fast and talked faster, the rest of the team… observed.
They noticed she rarely acknowledged the receptionist. She’d talk over others during brainstorming sessions. And imagine this: she once corrected a senior manager in front of the CEO, and laughed about it. I can literally see you raised your brows… uhhh..
Her colleagues had a nickname for her, “Too Much Salomey.”
One Wednesday, she strutted into the office in heels that echoed her confidence and handed her line manager a document she titled “Retention Strategy: How I Can Help Forget Me Not Grow.”
The manager nodded slowly and politely.
At the end of her national service period, HR sent her the usual ‘thank-you-for-your-service’ email. Salomey was shocked. “Wait… I thought I was doing great?” she cried to her friend.
She was. Technically doing the job, but there’s what you do, and then there’s how you’re perceived.
Later, in a conversation with her mentor, she was told the hard truth:
“You never really read the room, Salomey. You thought work was only KPIs. But culture counts too. Tone, timing, tact. You didn’t hear the silences. Lessons learnt. Next time, read the room.”
Moral of the Story
In every office, there’s always a room behind the room, the unspoken dynamics, jokes, and impressions. Nicknames aren’t always about you. They’re about how you’re seen. And whether you’re giving one or unknowingly wearing one, one thing’s for sure.
Reading the room is a skill every professional should master, because it’s not always what people say to your face. It’s what they whisper behind the printer.
Here are 7 compelling reasons why every employee should master the art of “reading the room”, an often underrated skill that can shape how you’re perceived, promoted, and positioned within any workplace:
Table of Contents
1. Builds Emotional Intelligence
Reading the room sharpens your ability to sense mood, tone, and unspoken dynamics, allowing you to respond with empathy, tact, and relevance. It’s a soft skill that distinguishes great professionals from others.
2. Helps You Communicate Effectively
Understanding when to speak, how to speak, and when to pause is key. Reading the room helps you tailor your delivery, avoid awkward timing, and ensure your message lands well with your audience.
3. Protects Your Reputation
Sometimes it’s not what you do, but how others perceive it. Mastering this skill ensures you don’t come off as arrogant, disconnected, or tone-deaf even when you mean well.
4. Enhances Team Collaboration
Recognizing tension, burnout, or unspoken resistance allows you to adapt your approach, diffuse issues early, and foster a more respectful and productive team dynamic.
5. Increases Your Influence
People are drawn to those who “get it” — who know when to push, when to pull back, and when to just listen. Reading the room gives you social currency and earns you trust faster.
6. Prevents Costly Mistakes
Pitching a bold idea when leadership is stressed or cracking jokes in a tense meeting? Misreading the room can lead to poor timing, damaged credibility, and missed opportunities.
7. Positions You for Leadership
Leaders aren’t just strategic — they’re socially aware. Being able to gauge emotions, power dynamics, and silent feedback is key to managing people, driving change, and earning respect.
Final Thought
In every workplace, what’s said out loud is only half the story. The rest lives in body language, glances, pauses, and silences.
Mastering how to read the room is the ultimate workplace superpower. The best professionals hear what isn’t said and act before it’s explained.
This is the Office Buzz! Work, culture and everything in between.
Remember to share this with that colleague who needs to read this.
