Interaction
Tools for Effective Communication
HBR blog series, February–March 2011
What’s the best way to talk to reporters? How can you make your
e-mails more “forwardable”? On these and other topics, experts tack-
led the complexities of communicating at work. In response, our read-
ers offered their own suggestions for improving public-speaking skills,
running meetings effectively, dealing with the media, and more.
“Delivering the Speech of Your Life,” by
Dan Pallotta “Memorize your speech.…
[I]t stops being about getting the words
right and starts being about getting the
feeling right.”
Memorization—don’t do it! It takes
actors years of experience and lots of
training to be able to memorize and
sound present.
Connie Miller, communication and
speech coach, Pivotal Presentations
Memorize, but don’t be a slave to it. I have
found that when I do memorize, I don’t
actually stick to the script—I improvise here
and there, depending on the audience’s
reactions. When I don’t memorize, I’m
constantly fumbling.
Lisa Hansen, owner, Hansen Editing
“Hold Conversations, Not Meetings,” by
Tony Golsby-Smith “A conversation is a
creative process.…It is a journey that takes
people through the full range of thinking,
not just a problem at hand.”
Many meeting leaders are not emotionally
equipped to deal with a meandering
conversation, because organizations
overwhelmingly value control and linear
thinking.
Barbara Lond, director, BL Consultants
Conversations can be as dull and pointless
as meetings. The missing link is good fa-
cilitation, which ensures everyone is heard,
tough topics are pursued, and genuine
outcomes are achieved.
Paul McKey, managing consultant,
IBM Australia—Strategy and Transformation
26 Harvard Business Review May 2011
1085 May11 Interaction.indd 26
Experts Are More
Meetings are an effective tool for inept
people to look extremely busy.
Faheem Mohammed, managing director,
Professional Alliance Network (Caribbean)
“Media Mistakes and How to Avoid Them,”
by Dorie Clark The three biggest mistakes
executives make when dealing with
journalists are “not understanding their
motives,” “not preparing for the obvious,”
and “not knowing the difference between
‘answering’ and ‘responding.’”
The mistake I’d add: Speaking from the
head instead of the heart. What seems
safe to many leaders often appears cold
and unfeeling to viewers.
Will Hurwitz, Harvard Business School,
MBA class of 2010
“The Practical Art of Persuasion,” by
William Ellet “[I]f you aren’t sure of what
you’re trying to do, whom you’re trying
to persuade, and how you can use the
persuasive resources available in the
situation, the media won’t matter.”
The treatment of persuasion as an end
is outdated. If you want to get people
to listen to you, your success will be
determined by how you can help your
audience accomplish their goals—not
yours.
Clay Forsberg, collaborator, The BleedingEdge
Any effort that comes off as calculated
or condescending will backfire. True
willingness to see the target audience’s
point of view and to find common ground
is critical to effective persuasion.
Jim Akin, principal, Strategic
Storyteller
Persuasive When
They’re Less Certain
HBR Q&A with Zakary Tormala, March 2011
Do people actually mistrust
confidence in experts? Profes-
sor Tormala’s studies show that
people find experts more com-
pelling when they are less sure of
their opinions.
People want honesty from their leaders,
particularly in the current climate. The
trouble is that many leaders are reluctant
to appear uncertain.
Simon Hayward, managing partner, Cirrus
Prolonged economic hardship and the un-
certainties expressed by leaders have left
us more willing to accept what is uncertain
than what appears to be certain. We are
consumed by doubt, and being doubtful
is a simple way of safeguarding ourselves
from future disappointments.
Danglade St. Rose, manager and owner,
DSR Enterprise
Will humility and CEOs’ subtle use of an un-
expected level of uncertainty in their com-
munications lead to a new era of greater
influence and authenticity for executives?
Maybe. One of the key ingredients for in-
creasing CEO influence is to tone down the
standard confident rhetoric and replace it
with more humble assessments of where a
business stands and how it hopes to grow.
Transparency and honesty go a long way in
building trust.
Rosanna M. Fiske, chair and CEO,
Public Relations Society of America
Once you are established as an expert,
people value your ability to examine the
nuance in a situation. I can think of many
times when I was a sell-side analyst and—
once I had established credibility—inves-
tors didn’t want to hear just “buy” or “sell,”
they wanted to know my thought process.
Whitney Johnson, founding partner,
Rose Park Advisors
3/30/11 7:51:51 PM
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