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I don't like your tone
Every Tuesday, The Productive Disruptive delivers storytelling science, message makeovers, cultural commentary, and a little rebellious hope for anyone still stubborn enough to believe communication can change the world.
Dorian Johnson
August 11, 2026
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So there’s this scene in SpongeBob…
In Squid’s Day Off, Squidward says to SpongeBob:
“I don’t like your tone.”
SpongeBob responds by repeating himself in a completely different, higher-pitched voice.
Because he thinks Squidward is talking about the literal sound of his voice.
It’s actually become a pretty popular vocal stim on TikTok.
People have been wearing out both Squidward’s and SpongeBob’s exact pitch and cadence.
Then I was like, "Wait a second, tone is incredibly important in storytelling."
Your tone will impact how and whether your story is received.
Think about something you deeply care about. Whatever issue keeps pulling you back to the work.
Now imagine explaining why it matters to three different people:
Your best friend.
A decision-maker who could support the work.
Someone who knows almost nothing about the issue.
You might make many of the same points each time. But almost immediately, the way you’d make those points starts to change.
The words changed. The energy changed. The amount of explanation changed. What felt funny changed. What felt appropriate changed.
The words. The energy. The amount of context. What you emphasize. What feels funny. What feels urgent. What needs explaining.
You may appeal to your best friend through something personal.
With a decision-maker, you might sound more direct and emphasize consequences or opportunity.
If you're speaking to someone unfamiliar with the issue, you might slow down, nix the jargon, and give them an easy entry point.
The message didn’t necessarily change, but tone did.
And that’s the point.
Tone is a choice in storytelling.
We spend so much time worrying about what we’re going to say.
Your tone could be working against you.
You can have an important story and ultimately lose people because of the tone.
A powerful message can leak humanity because you’re trying too hard to sound “professional.”
You can have the right words and still leave somebody thinking:
I don’t like your tone.
🧠 Story Science Side Note:
In four experiments, researchers Alex Van Zant and Jonah Berger found that people naturally change features of their voice when trying to persuade. Those vocal cues can shape attitudes and choices partly by making the speaker seem more confident without making them seem less sincere.
Remember: people aren’t only responding to what you say. They’re responding to how you sound saying it.
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspi0000193
📝 Message Makeover:
Before: “How do I make this sound more professional?”
After: “How should this sound for these people?”
I’ll take somebody sounding a little less “professional” and actually connecting with the people in front of them all day.
Because “professional” doesn’t tell you much about your audience.
🛠️ The PHacilitator’s Corner: Do a Tone Check
Before you send, present, post, or tell the story, ask:
Who am I talking to?
What do I want them to feel?
Does the way I’m saying this help me get there?
Then read it out loud.
Even record yourself and listen back.
See if there’s any gaps between what you meant to communicate and what someone might actually experience.
If those don’t match, check your tone.