“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.
Rebecca Hartwell
Over time and with lots of practice. Specifically in the context of learning to communicate effectively with my clients, I believe that being an author myself has been a huge advantage. I have been on the writer side of both great developmental edits with clear, helpful communication, and extremely frustrating and disappointing edits where poor or misaligned communication was a major factor. I learned a lot of what I want to replicate and avoid through those experiences, and have honed my lists of dos and don’ts as an editor as I have received feedback from my own author clients. Including a couple of jobs early on in my career where I definitely missed the mark, and am grateful that those clients let me know so that I could improve and avoid repeating those mistakes down the road. Read more>>
Franco Factory
Taking on leadership roles in volunteer community groups has been my best-kept secret for developing effective communication skills. One standout example is co-founding Beachside Moto Club (BMC), a social group for motorcyclists in the Greater Los Angeles area. We organize and execute large motorcycle group rides each month, where clear communication is essential for ensuring everyone’s safety. Before each ride, we hold a riders meeting to discuss safety, review the 30+ mile route, and explain the roles of all the BMC crew members involved. Read more>>
Lynn Slaughter
I have always had a deep interest in other people—their ideas, concerns, and feelings. Listening carefully and with genuine interest and openness is a tremendous help in my ability to communicate with others. We all long to be heard, and I have always been eager to listen. Read more>>
Lory Jones
Ah, that’s a good one. Two things when dealing with people: observing good leaders, and Toastmasters. I used to be brash and impatient, then one day I observed these two men I worked for. They were retired Air Force colonels, and completely opposite in personality. One was more gentle and empathetic, the other was stern and cut-and-dried. But they both had one trait in common: discipline. By example, they taught me how to better relate with people who frustrated me, particularly if there’s a personality conflict with another worker, or I’m on deadline. So instead of being a demanding jerk, I softened a bit: “So, how’s that article I sent you for review coming along? Can I help you in any way?” What a difference that made in getting my job needs met! Read more>>
Ella Bryant
To me, communication is about so much more than the words we use (although those are certainly a big part of it!) The visuals we share with the world to represent ourselves and our businesses matter, how we approach conversations matters, who we make intentional connections with matters. Read more>>
Kimberly Lavon
This is a great question, especially because it’s such a challenging topic for creatives. I learned to communicate effectively by doing it. I discovered how I naturally like to present information, and I always showed up authentically to every group I spoke to. I quickly learned what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve for the future. Read more>>
Nancy Benz
A lot of long and short form writing and public speaking in college. I still continue to write and speak at community organizations and programs. I earned a history degree because I love learning about the past and building a bridge between then and now. Making a connection with people is a key component of building that bridge, and communication is a key skill to learn when training to become a historian. Read more>>
Terry Lamacchia
My communication skills developed at four points in my life . While a high school student, l was fortunate to have excellent English teachers who challenged us as students to write both fiction and nonfiction, to debate convincingly and to organize thoughts cogently. Those skills served me well while in art school. Frequent class critiques necessitated that each student be able to discuss their own work, as well as that of fellow students, in terms of ideas, content, materials used and techniques. While in graduate school and preparing to teach art, I learned how to present a variety of art lessons through verbal explanation as well as demonstration. And finally, while teaching art to pupils ranging from K-12, in addition to adult students, I honed my ability to communicate clearly, succinctly and with enthusiasm in order to enable and inspire student learning. Read more>>
Yukino Takenaka
Since I was a kid, I love interacting with people, and I had no hesitance talking to people whether they are stranger or adults. One of the reason why I wanted to study English is to expand the capabilities of being able to communicate as many people as possible from all over the world to learn something new. So I talked to a lot of people, who are at the different age, from different countries on various topic. I enjoy having a light or deep conversation with others. However, all over the year, I learned that communication is not about how talkative you are or how listenable you are. Read more>>
Elizabeth Chur
I’ve always been intrigued by the interweaving of sound and story. I grew up listening to stories from my parents, and when we visited my extended family in Hawaii, I heard my grandparents and great-aunts “talk story,” as they called it. I was also an insatiable reader, which taught me so much about what makes for a compelling narrative – vivid details, complex characters, and plot twists, to name a few elements. Read more>>
