Mastering Communication at Work summary

Imagine a law firm. Everyone is dressed in suits – everyone except for one attorney. He always wears jeans and sandals.

There’s a chance that this guy is the best, most creative and imaginative lawyer at the firm – and his unusual appearance only enhances his reputation as a free thinker. But now imagine he drops the ball on a big case. Suddenly it doesn’t look so smart to be dressed like a college student. And people will start to interact with him differently.

Say you need to get a project done in two weeks. You thought you had a couple of months, but things have shifted, and the deadline has been brought forward. How do you motivate your team to meet the new target?

Well, if possible, you should treat them as the individuals they are. And that means approaching each of them differently, depending on their own motivating factors.

Doug Ludwig isn’t a corporate manager, but many could learn from him. He’s a guide for a rafting company on a river in West Virginia, and every day up to eight rafts of amateurs navigate a dangerous stretch – on his watch.

Communication, for Doug, is life or death. When he’s giving his safety talk, it’s critical that everyone remembers his instructions.

Mike Phalen, former president of the endoscopy business run by Boston Scientific, was in Europe one day for a global meeting. Delivering the keynote in front of hundreds of people, he spotted a sales manager he’d met briefly three years before. On that previous occasion, the manager – then still quite junior – had made a good impression. But the meeting had only been brief.

Phalen remembered, though – and now, delivering an important speech to senior company figures, he singled out the manager to congratulate him on his success. The manager couldn’t believe it.

Here’s a little exercise. Unless you’re being driven somewhere in a car right now, say the word “Stop” in your normal, everyday voice. How does it sound?

Now say it as if you’re watching someone about to run across a busy road – their life is in danger. How does your voice change as you yell “Stop” now?

Harvard Business School used to have communication on its MBA syllabus, but it doesn’t anymore. But that doesn’t mean they don’t teach it.

In fact, the opposite is true. These days, every single class is effectively a lesson in communication. Students are graded on class participation – the way they listen, speak, and debate. To do any of that well requires top communication skills. Communication underpins the whole course. That’s how important it is.