The pandemic has had more than a significant impact on how we communicate.
Most notably, video calls have gone from being regarded as a sub-optimal back-up when a face-to-face meeting isn’t possible, or for occasional check-ins with long distance friends and family, to second nature – with even the most previously technophobic amongst us now familiar with the emoji reaction functionalities of Zoom and MS Teams.
Yet, whilst video calls have kept us connected, isolation at home for the majority of us means we’re out of practice with some of the basics of human interaction.
As we emerge from lockdown life and begin to return to social gatherings and work situations some of us are finding ourselves a little rusty at things that used to come so easily, like small talk, and finding conversation topics more diverse than “How was the pandemic for you?” and “Have you had your vaccine yet?” when many of the usual defaults such as holidays enjoyed and events experienced are largely a dry well of conversational potential.
That’s what was on my mind as I curated this week’s The Power Up, full of tips and resources on how (and why) to retrain in the art of good conversation, the importance of listening, and some timely guidance on how to better make use of the communication technologies that dominate our lives today.
In this week’s issue:
- How to have more meaningful conversations
- 10 rules for better conversations
- How to give effective feedback that leads to positive change
- How to use your phone… So that it doesn’t use you
- Effective psychological ‘tricks’ to try in everyday life
- An expert guide to assertive communication
- How to make small talk
- The lost art of listening
- 7 Zoom mistakes you might still be making
Plus plenty of bonus content too.
As ever, I hope you learn something in this edition that helps sharpen your communication skills and increases the quality and enjoyment of your relationships with others.
Enjoy!
C O N V E R S A T I O N
How to have more meaningful conversations
Meaningful conversations allow us to learn something important about ourselves, other people, or about the World – and, when this happens, we come away feeling better understood and connected, with research finding links to greater life satisfaction.
So, if meaningful conversations are so rewarding and beneficial, how can we have more of them?
C O N V E R S A T I O N
10 ways to have better conversations
When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations — and that most of us don’t converse very well.
Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades, and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening.
In this insightful TED talk, Celeste breaks down 10 useful rules for having better conversations.
F E E D B A C K
How to give effective feedback that leads to positive change
If you’re a manager, entrepreneur, or even a parent, giving your people feedback is essential to helping them reach their potential.
Offering effective feedback is a communication skill, and like all skills, it can be learned and continuously improved.
This comprehensive guide breaks down almost everything there is to know about giving effective feedback.
T O O L S
How to use your phone… So that it doesn’t use you
From notifications, to reminders, to dopamine-dosing ‘likes’ and the FOMO of an always-on newsfeed, we all know that phone apps are developed to take up as much of our attention as they can. But they are distracting us from the richness of life happening away from our screens.
Here Tim Ferriss shares a few basic principles for how he sets up his phone to ensure he is the one in control of how and when he gives it his valuable time.
P S Y C H O L O G Y
Effective psychological tricks for everyday life
Buzzfeed has never featured in The Power Up before, but I found this crowdsourced list of everyday tips — most of them on the subject of human interaction — to have a few gems.
Not all of them explicitly relate to communication — but those that don’t might still help you out next time you find yourself in a difficult situation.
R E C O M M E N D E D
100 Questions card pack from the School of Life
It isn’t easy to get into a good conversation, but the team at School of Life believe that a great conversation always starts with a great question.
In this set of beautiful cards they’ve curated 100 of the very best questions around, carefully crafted to get a group of people into exceptionally entertaining and meaningful conversations around love, life, culture and family.
R E C O M M E N D E D
How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age
Dale Carnegie’s How to win friends and influence people is one of the most lauded books on the subject of human interactions, communication, self-expression and leadership.
And although Carnegie could never have predicted the rise of social media, email and Zoom, his core principles are just as relevant and applicable to the digital age, as this modern, updated guide proves.
B O N U S
C O N T E N T
An expert guide to assertive communication
How to make small talk
How to keep a conversation going: 8 simple tips
Why knowing how to be quiet improves your communication
7 actionable conversation tips that work like a charm
One priceless communication skill most people don’t practice
The lost art of listening
5 Movie scenes that offer a master class in conversation
7 conversation mistakes men make online that they would never make in real life
7 Zoom mistakes you might still be making — and how to raise your video skills
“Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand. We listen with the intent to reply.”
STEPHEN COVEY
