How to Improve Communication Skills

Fact: The secret to being a top performer isn’t in working harder. It’s in communicating smarter. Yes. Let me elaborate: After more than 15 years in the corporate world, the biggest lesson that I’ve learned is that the way we communicate plays a pivotal role in rising the ranks. Top performers take ownership of the room. They make people feel heard, they are considerate to everyone, and they lead not just through their work, but through their language. I've spent countless hours across executives, and the one quality that I often see in them is excellent communication skills. The language we use has a profound impact on our success, and the way we’re perceived by the world. People want to work with those who set a positive, empowering tone. These are the kind of folks who sneak out the promotion right from under their most productive team members. In my experience, it’s not the hardest workers who always get ahead, it’s the ones who know how to speak with conviction, empathy, and professionalism. The best news about this? You can get better at your communication skills to become a top performer. -> Here are a few simple language changes that can make all the difference: 1/ Thank, Don’t Apologize: Instead of saying “I’m sorry for the delay,” say “Thank you for your patience.” It shifts the focus from the negative to the positive and shows appreciation. 2/ Commit to Learning, Not Admitting Ignorance: Instead of “I don’t know,” try “I will look into that and get back to you.” This demonstrates growth, accountability, and a proactive attitude. 3/ Be Grateful, Not Apologetic: Instead of “Sorry for disturbing you,” say “Thank you for your attention.” It acknowledges the other person’s time without sounding uncertain. 4/ Own Your Actions: Instead of “I didn’t mean to,” say “I take responsibility for this.” Owning your actions shows confidence and accountability, not excuses. 5/ Ask, Don’t Assume: Instead of making statements, try asking open-ended questions like, “What do you think about this?” It invites collaboration and shows respect for others' input. 6/ Focus on Solutions, Not Problems: Replace “This is a challenge” with “Here’s a potential solution.” This shifts the mindset from obstacles to opportunities and demonstrates problem-solving skills. This level of intentional communication is what sets them apart. It’s not just about delivering excellent results, it's about expressing ourselves in a way that builds confidence, respect, and rapport with your underlings, peers, and bosses. What small changes in your communication have made a big difference? #Leadership #CareerGrowth #Communication #ProfessionalDevelopment

Some people are naturally gifted communicators. I'm not, so I've spent the last few decades trying to get better. I started my professional life awkward and shy. Now, I'm awkward, shy, and effective. Many people have helped me improve; hopefully, I can help others in return. After thousands of interviews, pitches, and conversations in forums big and small, I find myself returning to four basic points. Whenever I communicate, I try to be: Precise Most people are frustratingly vague - sometimes on purpose but more often through a lack of practice. Yet humans crave clarity. Get someone to understand, and you're 90% of the way towards getting them to agree. Entertaining Boring communication is ineffective communication. Go through life assuming that - whatever role you're playing in any particular moment - you're also the entertainment. You'll sometimes be embarrassed, but you'll usually be understood.  Unexpected Not completely unexpected though! Strike a balance between what your audience expects (so they're prepared to hear you) and something they didn't see coming (so they remember you spoke.) Most people need extra help with the "unexpected" part of that balance. Attentive It doesn't matter what you say; it only matters what they remember. It helps to see your message the way your audience will see it. Try paying attention… from their vantage point. Record yourself on camera and play it back to yourself. Try tag-teaming a presentation with a co-worker so you can take turns speaking and watching the audience. Sometimes, sending a recorded video in advance that explains a topic gives you the breathing room to be fully present in a subsequent live discussion. There are many tips and techniques to get progressively better at each of these aspects. I find being more attentive the most difficult, though every slight improvement brings big rewards. We designed mmhmm around this philosophy of communication, with intentional features and capabilities for each point. Software alone won't make you a better communicator, but the right tools are a huge help. If this resonates with you, try it yourself or with your team. And let me know how it goes. I'm always happy to talk about the tactics and strategies for getting people to understand each other better. Reducing misunderstanding might be the most important thing in the world. When you're great at communicating, people nod and agree, and you'll hear "mmhmm" a lot. I've tried many explanations for the name, and this is the revisionist version I'm sticking with. https://www.mmhmm.app/

One of the skills that earned me 3 promotions in 1 year is… Communication. But not the kind you might think. Most people think communication is just about talking clearly or writing without typos. It’s more than that. It’s about: 1, Understanding your audience: Whether it’s your manager, team, or clients, knowing what they care about changes how you deliver your message. 2, Simplifying complex ideas: Data is full of jargon and numbers. But breaking that down into clear, actionable takeaways? That’s what gets you noticed. 3, Listening to connect, not just respond: Real communication starts with listening. Understanding someone else’s perspective makes your words twice as impactful. So I made sure I could: => Present data-driven insights to technical and non-technical teams without overwhelming them. => Proactively updating my managers on my tasks before they ask. => Help my team with their tasks and let my manager know. I wasn’t just “doing my job” I was someone people trusted to get things done and explain why it mattered. Strong communication isn’t optional. It’s the bridge between doing good work and getting recognized for it. If you master this skill, the opportunities will follow. If you want to get promoted more often, let me know, and I’ll help you communicate your values.

When I launched my podcast, I had to interview smart minds. I was nervous and unprepared. I treated every conversation like ping-pong. I asked, they answered. Back and forth. Hit and miss. No depth, no insight, no connection. This is how most of us communicate. We talk to reply, not to learn. “Listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self.” - Dean Jackson Your listening and communication skills determine your success in: - Sales - Relationships - Leadership - Life Bottom line: It matters. And we can do better. I’ve improved a lot. It wasn’t easy, but these are 5 frameworks that helped me listen better and transform how I communicate. 1. The Ladder of Inference (Bias). We often make assumptions and jump to conclusions, without checking the facts and logic. This leads to confusion, conflict, and poor decisions. To avoid this, we need to climb DOWN the ladder and question our thinking. This is a dangerous ladder that creates bias and limits us. 2. The Five Whys. A simple way to go deeper. Ask “why” (5 times) until you find the root cause. - It uncovers hidden assumptions and beliefs. - It prevents superficial solutions. - Be curious and open-minded and keep digging. 3. Affective Frame A technique teachers use. When you know why you care, you’ll pay more attention (and listen better). We can lose focus and drift away. Constantly remind yourself of the purpose and value of the conversation. You’ll stay engaged longer. 4. Signal vs. Noise: Signal: The main message or idea. Noise: Anything that distracts, confuses, or weakens the signal. We’re bad at expressing our thoughts. This leads to chaos. - Be clear and concise. - Use simple words and sentences. - Avoid jargon and filler words. This will help the other person focus. Complex questions or vague thoughts lead to messy back and forth. 5. The Pareto Principle. We don’t need to cover every topic every time. Pareto principle tells us that 80% of the outcomes come from 20% of the inputs, actions, or ideas. However, more often than not, we repeat 80% of the things that only produce 20% of the results, instead of the opposite. This happens because the 20% that produces the 80% is the hard work, the tough tasks, the deep, challenging questions. Remember. Time is precious. We only have so much time to communicate and get things done. - Focus on the important work. - Have the difficult conversation. - Ask the hard questions. That’s how you make every conversation count.