“Zoom is just not the same. It never will be.” said Miss Alissa in our end-of-year parent-teacher conference. — “Zoom is just not the same. It never will be.” said Miss Alissa in our end-of-year parent-teacher conference. She’s right. Zoom calls, now everywhere thanks to the COVID pandemic, aren’t the same as communicating together with other people in shared physical space. …

Lots of people believe in “communication styles.” — Lots of people believe in “communication styles.” You shouldn’t. Do humans have tendencies and sensitivities when communicating? Yes, definitely. We each have our own. But that does that mean you have a communication “style”? Nope. Having a communication style is to have something you think you can’t change. And nothing…

Effective communication. Everyone talks about and seems to be after it. But what is it? What does it mean to communicate effectively? — Effective communication. Everyone talks about and seems to be after it. But what is it? What is effective communication? What does it mean to communicate effectively? Do we really know? Ask 100 people what “effective communication” is, and you’ll get many different answers.

Everyone talks about how “openness” is important in communication, but what is openness? What does it mean “to be open” when we… — Everyone talks about how “openness” is important in communication, but what is openness? What does it mean “to be open” when we communicate with others? We have to think of openness in at least two ways: Openness means how much you share or are willing to share when you talk…

Being able to ask good questions is essential to being a good communicator. Why is asking good questions important? Hey, good question… — Being able to ask good questions is essential to being a good communicator. Why is asking good questions important? Hey, good question! And how can we ask good questions? Look at that, another one! How are question-asking and listening related? …

Communication always involves other people, but communicating better begins with you. — Communication always involves other people, but making communication better begins with you. Self-assessment is essential to improving your communication. If you can self-assess better, you’ll more easily adapt to the situations you find yourself in. Self-assessment, when it comes to communication, is both a skill and an art.

There is a persistent myth out there that “93% of communication is nonverbal.” I don’t know why because it’s wrong. Don’t believe it. — A myth persists out there that “93% of communication is nonverbal.” See here, here, and here. These are just a few among the many articles I could find perpetuating this nonsense claim. Whether you’re aware of this idea about communication or not, or have ever given it any thought or…

Communication doesn’t always succeed. But it never fails. — Communication doesn’t always succeed. But it never fails. We talk about communication failing all the time. However, we need to recognize that an unanticipated outcome is not the same as “failure.” Communication isn’t an on/off switch. We’re not “communicating” or “not communicating.” Communication doesn’t happen or not happen. It’s always…

People are obsessed with the idea of clear communication. But clarity isn’t what you think it is. It’s not a deposit. It’s overlap. — People are obsessed with the idea of clear communication. We are told that if you can’t communicate clearly, you’ve failed. People’s obsession with communication clarity can be downright pathological. Maybe you have heard your boss or colleague or spouse say: “I couldn’t be more clear,” “it wasn’t clear what you…