Anyone can become a supercommunicator.

Communication is a learned skill. We can all learn ways to hear better and to speak so that others want to listen.

Whenever we speak, we’re actually participating in one of three conversations:

1. Practical Conversation: What’s this really about?
2. Emotional Conversation: How do we feel?
3. Social Conversation: Who are we?

If you don’t know what kind of conversation is occurring, you’re unlikely to connect.

PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Consider a recent conversation you had with a co-worker or family member. Can you identify what kind of conversation (practical, emotional, or social) occurred? Did your conversations match?
2. In a conflict, we prove we are listening by looping for understanding: asking questions, summarizing what you heard, and asking if you got it right. What hinders your ability to listen in times of conflict? What could it look like for you to grow your communication skills in this area?
3. What one step could you take in the next month to become a supercommunicator?

TEAM DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Review the questions below that relate to the different types of conversations. Think of a time when you had one of these conversations. How could this framework have impacted the outcome of the conversation?
   • Do they want to be helped? (A practical “What’s this really about?” conversation)
   • Do they want to be hugged? (An emotional “How do we feel?” conversation)
   • Do they want to be heard? (A social “Who are we?” conversation)
2. Supercommunicators learn the skill of looping for understanding by asking questions, summarizing what they have heard, and asking if they got it right. How would you assess our team in this area? Are there ways we could improve in how we seek to understand others?
3. What steps could we take in the next month to grow as supercommunicators?