Study How to Communicate

"I work with some really smart people, and many of them can't communicate worth a damn. If you figure out how to help others share their ideas effectively, you'll do alright." That was my grandfather's encouraging advice when I switched my degree program to English.

I hadn't given my change in direction that much thought. Honestly, I just liked my English classes, and mostly the professors, better than my Political Science classes. I knew I didn't want to teach, and many friends and family were concerned that an English degree without a teaching certificate wouldn't do me much good. Not my grandfather. He saw a need.

That wasn't a bright lightbulb moment where suddently my life had clarity and purpose. It was more like don't worry, things will work out, and you'll be fine. But that conversation has really stuck with me for over 30 years.

His advice played a role in me deciding to continue my education and get a Masters degree in Industrial Technology - a very different program than my liberal arts undergraduate. That program taught me new technical languages - statistics, process improvement, design, manufacturing.

His advice gave me confidence when I transitioned from working in housing and food service at Purdue University to training buying and merchandising teams at May Department stores. That experience taught me new business languages - assortment planning, sell throughs, margins, and pricing. The pattern repeated as I gained experiences in human resources and store operations.

My English degree has served me well, but most of the credit goes to my grandfather's advice. He planted that seed for me to be curious and observe how people share their ideas, to listen to what others are really saying, and to help them reframe and polish their ideas to get more traction. He was right, and there's still a need.

Seven Seconds to Make Your Point

Have you ever been thrown off your rhythm in a conversation with someone else? Perhaps you’re in a meeting and trying to make a point, someone interrupts with a comedic quip, others laugh, and you have a tough time recovering. You come across stumped or stiff.

Okay, so if if hasn’t happened to you, maybe you’ve seen it happen to “a friend of yours.”

In a recent interview with Alan Alda, Neil deGrasse Tyson shared how he prepped for his first interview with Jon Steward. His approach was smart and helpful for dealing with similar situations in the workplace.

On my very first invitation to Jon Stewart when he was on The Daily Show, he’s a comedian, he’s smart. He’s very current events literate. Famous for having people, deer in the headlights, the politician would want to come and want to give their boilerplate, and he would ask them questions through the backdoor, around the side, and they would just be stumped. I said, I am not going to be stumped. And he’d be throwing comedic quips in the middle, and people would be stumbling over the comedic quips. I said, that is not going to happen to me. I watch a series of his shows. I timed how many seconds he would give you to talk before he would interrupt with a comedic quip.

It was about seven seconds. Yeah. One, two, three, four, five, six, about seven. That was the average. Of course, there was variation.

I said, I’ve got to put out a soundbite that fits in seven seconds, then he interrupts it with the quip, and then we have the funny quip and a complete thought that are on the table. I’m not going back trying to fill it in, I’m not flustered that I didn’t get my point across. The rhythm of the host is everything. Otherwise, you’re going to go there and just give your boilerplate. You don’t fit in with the moment.

Brilliant preparation! Know your audience. Prepare and plan. Adjust your style accordingly. Fit in with the moment.

Five Star Ratings

Is giving a rating on Uber or AirBnB different than a normal customer survey? On these sites your ratings can make a big difference on someone's livelihood and they also rate you. So over time, your poor ratings could begin to reflect negatively on you.

On a recent episode of the podcast Question of the Day, they tackle this issue with quest host Brian Koppelman. Check it out: 97. What If Your Uber Driver Is Less Than ‘Uber’?