Rapport at Work

Helen Spencer-Oatey is an internationally renowned expert in rapport management and intercultural communication, listed in the top 2% worldwide of most influential scientists in her field by the Stanford University/Elsevier 2025 ranking. She prioritises the practical application of her work and, with colleagues, has developed a range of diagnostic tools & resources in support of this. She is an emeritus professor at the University of Warwick, UK, and now provides masterclasses and guest talks at international conferences and professional events. | Domna Lazidou is a culture and communications specialist who works with multicultural organisations to help them understand and manage cultural complexity, develop global leadership capability and create flourishing and inclusive diverse cultures. As a trainer and academic tutor she focuses on developing the skills needed for navigating increasingly uncertain, fast transforming workplaces.

• List of figuresList of tablesList of case studiesAcknowledgementsF FoundationsF.1 What is rapport?F.2 Learning to manage rapportF.3 Culture and contextF.4 Rapport and AIF.5 Structure of the book1 Principle 1: Watch the TriggersPart 1: How to recognise the triggers and take them into accountPractice T1: Clarify and address GoalsPractice T2: Balance Autonomy–ControlPractice T3: Balance High–Low AttentionPractice T4: Respect people’s FacePractice T5: Exercise FairnessPractice T6: Uphold Ethical principlesApplication activitiesPart 2: Understanding the triggers more deeply1.1 The Interpersonal Circle1.2 Moral foundations theory1.3 Interpersonal concerns1.4 Culture and the GAAFFE TriggersKey takeawaysFollow-up readingReferences2 Principle 2: Master ReactionsPart 1: How to master our reactionsPractice R1: Resist negative loopingPractice R2: Reappraise eventsPractice R3: Understand and notice emotional displayPractice R4: Build emotional awareness and competenceApplication activitiesPart 2: Understanding reactions more deeply2.1 Emotions, emotion categories and emotional granularity2.2 Cognitive sensemaking: A theory of blame and appraisal theory2.3 Emotional display and influencing factors2.4 Regulating and discerning emotionsKey takeawaysFollow-up readingReferences3 Principle 3: Tailor your InteractionsPart 1: How to tailor your interactionsPractice I1: Control the (language) CodePractice I2: Heed hidden meaningsPractice I3: Adjust your (communicative) actionsPractice I4: Tune your timingPractice I5: Stretch and flex your (communication) stylesApplication activitiesPart 2: Understanding how communication works3.1 The communication process3.2 Achieving mutual understanding3.3 Speech acts3.4 Timing and turn-taking3.5 Communication stylesKey takeawaysFollow-up readingReferences4 Principle 4: Take People into accountPart 1: Why and how to take people into accountPractice P1: Manage hierarchy flexiblyPractice P2: Heed social distancePractice P3: Understand role responsibilitiesPractice P4: Foster identity and attitudinal awarenessApplication activitiesPart 2: Understanding people factors more deeply4.1 Pragmatics perspectives on power and social distance4.2 Role responsibilities4.3 Psychological safety4.4 Identity theory and the perception of others4.5 MicroinsultsKey takeawaysFollow-up readingReferences5 Principle 5: Be Mindful of SettingsPart 1: Why and how to be mindful of settingsPractice S1: Adapt to event norms (Communication settings level)Practice S2: Adjust flexibly to the organisational culture (Organisational setting level)Practice S3: Be responsive to institutional requirements (Institutional settings level)Practice S4: Adjust flexibly to societal expectations (National and international settings level)Application activitiesPart 2: Understanding Setting factors more deeply5.1 Settings as multilayered5.2 Communicative events5.3 Psychological safety in organisations5.4 Homophily and social influence5.5 Cultural values and their impact on different setting levelsKey takeawaysFollow-up readingReferences6 Case Study applicationsPart 1: Learning from case studiesCase study 6.1: Mismanaged rapport in an annual review at workCase study 6.2: Mismanaged rapport in an international summer campCase study 6.3: A successful apologyCase study 6.4: Overcoming a problematic relationship at workApplication activitiesPart 2: The value and use of ‘critical incidents’6.1 What are critical incidents?6.2 Critical incidents and reflective learning6.3 Collecting critical incidentsKey takeawaysFollow-up readingReferences7 Concluding commentsIndex

'Rapport at Work is packed with rich insights and practical approaches for fostering and maintaining healthy, productive relationships – more than in any other book I have ever read. I'll be drawing on them in my own work. Written in simple, clear language, every chapter is grounded in research while showing a deep understanding of what makes real people tick. Bravo!'Carlos Valdes-Dapena, CEO, Corporate Collaboration Resources, LLC'Rapport at Work is a highly practical and accessible introduction to communication and relationship management in diverse settings. Rather than providing fixed rules, it makes readers think about how they communicate and what influences the way they communicate. The book will be of great benefit to professionals as well as students of business communication who want to build better relationships with colleagues, clients and other collaborators.'Doris Dippold, Associate Professor of Intercultural Communication, University of Surrey'This is a brilliant book! Relationships lie at the core of all workplaces, but creating positive rapport is not always straightforward, especially when working across cultures. In Rapport at Work, Helen Spencer-Oatey and Domna Lazidou astutely outline why this is the case, and how we can develop better social relationships with others and avoid unnecessary conflict. They translate decades of meticulous empirical research into a highly accessible and practical framework for navigating relationships in the workplace. It is a must read not only for professionals wanting to improve workplace culture, but also students and scholars of workplace communication.'Professor Michael Haugh, School of Languages and Culture, University of Queensland'This is a thoughtful, practical and timely book for anyone seeking to build more meaningful connections across cultures and contexts. What I particularly appreciated was the way it makes rapport both intellectually rigorous and practically usable. I also valued the broader treatment of culture, which makes the framework relevant not only across national cultures, but across teams, professions, organisations and institutional settings. It offers a clear framework for noticing, reflecting and responding with greater care. For reflective practitioners, it is both intellectually rich and immediately useful in everyday working relationships.'Tanya McCalmon, Director/Inclusion Consultant, Lennox Learning & Development'Rapport at Work is a fascinating book which brings the reader into the world of relationships, language, and culture. The book is ground-breaking because it presents a research-based but highly accessible introduction to the topic, with relevance not only for those who seek to manage rapport more successfully but also for academics who research the area.'Dániel Z. Kádár, Dalian University of Foreign Languages, China and ELTE Research Centre for Linguistics, Hungary