Two Key Messages

Two Key Messages

Every organization has a communication culture, one that is shaped and reinforced by the people within the organization, especially the leaders. In his seminal work On Leadership, John Gardner identifies two key messages critical for healthy communication in...
Tell Me A Story

Tell Me A Story

In my last post, I shared a story about my grandfather and the song he sang to me when I was a little girl to help me remember to speak clearly. Don’t you love stories? Stories are the most powerful tool we have in communicating with others. The reason? Stories...
Speak Distinctly

Speak Distinctly

Pig-tailed and freckle-faced, I stood next to my grandpa’s chair. “Speak distinctly, or do-not-speak or do-not-speak at all,” he said. It was kind of a song. As a young girl, I often talked so quickly – and with such a high-pitched squeak – that he...
The Other 93%

The Other 93%

I find it hard to conceal my emotions from others. if I’m excited about something, you’ll know it. If I’m disappointed about something, I won’t be able to hide that from you either. If I’m particularly upset about something, I struggle to...
Find a Common Language

Find a Common Language

In the summer of 1992, I stood on a ferryboat with a few friends in the middle of the Bosphorus Strait, the body of water that separates the city of Istanbul, Turkey, into two continents. We had spent the day in Asia but were headed back to the European side, where we...