Categories

…most people feel a lot of inhibition about communicating candidly with those of greater power.

Being partners has… a number of different attributes, including open communications up, down, and across the organization, joint decision making, mutual assistance, and respectful interaction.

Powerless communicators tend to speak less assertively, expressing plenty of doubt and relying heavily on advice from others.

Asking questions is a form of powerless communication that givers adopt naturally. Questions work especially well when the audience is already skeptical…

…when people have to work closely together, such as in teams… powerless speech is actually more influential than powerful speech.

By speaking with greater speed, volume, assertiveness, and certainty, takers convince us that they know what they’re talking about.

…powerless communication… works for givers because they establish a sincere intent to act in the best interests of others.

For would-be persuaders, the message is plain: to change feelings, counteract them with other feelings; and liking for a communicator offers a useful source of such feelings.

…a communicator who references a weakness early on is seen as more honest.

There is significant value in everyone on the team hearing the same thing at the same time about how the product development process should work.