“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Mastering communication is one of the most important building blocks for reaching your full potential. We are fortunate to have many brilliant communicators in our community and we asked some of them to share their lessons and advice below.
Chinua Joi Ivey
Some answers to this question seem apparent, such as being knowledgeable about the subject matter or practicing. However, the focus of effective communication should be on more than just the sender but also the receiver. I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I love the way that it connects us, but the spread of hate and bullying by trolls is disturbing. We lose the importance of diverse thought when people are attacked for having a difference in opinion or lived experience. We also lose the significance of debate, which should not be a harmful process. Read more>>
Cindy Twedt
I was blessed to grow up with a Father who was a college professor, and taught speech, debate, and drama. He also had a debate team that he traveled with, and they did very well! He was an extremely educated man, who could communicate effectively with people on all levels, and from all walks of life. I attribute my ability to communicate effectively to my Dad. He was the best role model ever and lead by example! I have successfully run the Entourage Model and Talent Agency for over 35 years and I’ve had to deal with lots of different personalities not only the models and actors but also the clients who hire the talent from my agency. Read more>>
Ama Agyapong-Hooks
I really enjoy communicating with people! I find the most gratifying aspect of communication to be listening rather than speaking. This preference reflects my enjoyment of understanding others and valuing their perspectives in conversations. Hi, my name is Ama Agyapong-Hooks, also known as ‘That Inclusion Lady.’ Read more>>
Gaurav Shekhar
Communication is a medium to help others understand what you are trying to say. Often we focus on our end of what communication looks like. An effective communicator pivots to see how their message is being received. This is not something you develop overnight. An empathic approach, laced with a desire to hear the other side leads to communicate effectively. One must provide the comfort to let communication happen. If others are not comfortable, they wont speak. I try to make people comfortable so that they are able to express themselves. Toning your responses in a way that they match the sensitivity in the room is a good start. Patience also plays a great role here. Read more>>
Eric Hanson
My communication skills were rudimentary early in my college years, but wasn’t until I began to teach alongside working as a visual effects artist in the film industry that I found my real voice. A combination of experiencing high powered teamwork where communication is essential, along with finding confidence in expressing my sensibilities of creative workflow in my early teaching allowed me to grow significantly in this area. Read more>>
Gabriel Rhenals
I can recall a particularly sharp turning point in the development of my communicative abilities taking place in my early adolescence. One afternoon during my sophomore year in high school, I experienced a powerful urge to challenge my usual, dyed-in-the-wool introversion by raising my voice to address my teacher and classmates regarding some now long-since-forgotten matter. In the immediate aftermath of my boisterous comment, I’d scarcely felt as much agency, assertiveness and confidence up to that point in my life. Though vague in detail, this memory has always stayed with me. Read more>>
Dr. Kim Bell, DPT
My ability to communicate has definitely improved over time and I continue to learn how to communicate more effectively. I had my first hard lesson in the consequences of poor communication when I was in elementary school. I must have been in fourth or fifth grade when my teacher called my parents to report that I had been gossiping with some of my friends, apparently hurting the feelings of one of our classmates. Read more>>
