Rethinking Communication

Most leaders are promoted into their roles believing authority alone will inspire confidence, but the truth is, your communication style is what truly sets you apart as a leader.   In this episode, I reveal how many new leaders unwittingly sabotage their growth by misunderstanding what effective leadership communication actually looks like. A  shift in mindset — moving from control to influence —...

AI is all the rage these days, and while there are many benefits to it, I'm concerned we're outsourcing too much of our thinking to artificial intelligence.    When you do so, it's affects how you show up as a communicator.   And so, I'm releasing a 6-part series on the communication skills you need to improve in the age of AI.   In this sixth and final episode of the series, I explore the essenti...

AI is all the rage these days, and while there are many benefits to it, I'm concerned we're outsourcing too much of our thinking to artificial intelligence.    When you do so, it's affects how you show up as a communicator.   And so, I'm releasing a 6-part series on the communication skills you need to improve in the age of AI.   In this fifth episode of the series, I explore the essential communi...

AI is all the rage these days, and while there are many benefits to it, I'm concerned we're outsourcing too much of our thinking to artificial intelligence.    When you do so, it's affects how you show up as a communicator.   And so, I'm releasing a 6-part series on the communication skills you need to improve in the age of AI.   In this fourth episode of the series, I explore the essential commun...

AI is all the rage these days, and while there are many benefits to it, I'm concerned we're outsourcing too much of our thinking to artificial intelligence.    When you do so, it's affects how you show up as a communicator.   And so, I'm releasing a 6-part series on the communication skills you need to improve in the age of AI.   In this third episode of the series, I explore the essential communi...

AI is all the rage these days, and while there are many benefits to it, I'm concerned we're outsourcing too much of our thinking to artificial intelligence.    When you do so, it's affects how you show up as a communicator.   And so, I'm releasing a 6-part series on the communication skills you need to improve in the age of AI.   In this second episode of the series, I explore the essential commun...

AI is all the rage these days, and while there are many benefits to it, I'm concerned we're outsourcing too much of our thinking to artificial intelligence.    When you do so, it's affects how you show up as a communicator.   And so, I'm releasing a 6-part series on the communication skills you need to improve in the age of AI.   In this first episode of the series, I explore the essential communi...

Do you think you are a good communicator?   I've observed ove the past year that most of us think we're great at communicating when, in reality, we struggle!   Because effective communication is not just about speaking your mind; it's about inspiring and connecting with others.    So many of us are stuck in the outdated communication styles we learned in our youth, and in this episode, I walk you...

In this episode, I explore the nuance and complexity involved in trying to answer the question: Who should lead the way into difficult conversations?   What about in the face of moral exclusion? What about if the other party denies your humanity? What if you are the victim?   This episode was inspired by a recent LinkedIn post I made on which Brené Brown commented, and the whirwind that followed....

In this conversation, Emily Kasriel — author of the book, "Deep Listening: Transform your relationships with family, friends, and foes" — discusses the concept of deep listening, emphasizing its transformative power and the courage it requires.   Emily has had a two-decades-long career at the BBC as an award-winning journalist, and she shares her journey from being a transactional listener to embr...

So much of conversation is about understanding context.   From determining which conversations and relationships are worth engaging in to understanding the alignment in values to solving conflict, if you don't pick up on the context, you might create problems.   As you'll hear from my guest in this episode, John Wang, culture also provides context clues, which he discusses in his new book, Big Asi...

This episode's content comes from a webinar I delivered earlier this year titled, "You Want Me To Talk To Them ? How To Communicate With People You Disagree With."   In this presentation, I walk through what we get wrong about conflict communication and how conversations get stuck. I also cover a new way to approach uncomfortable conversations, my ASK then SEE method, which can help us lower the t...

I had the joy of joining Rick Barron on his " That's Life, I Swear " podcast for a conversation about… well... conversation. More specifically, how we can communicate better with each other when conflict arises. Even though I was the guest, Rick told a story about him and his neighbor that is the perfect example of what I mean when I ask that you set aside your certainty and what you think you kno...

We've been taught that when faced with disagreement, once you get a chance to speak, go on the offensive and don't back down.   However, one conversation I had recently revealed a far better and more productive approach — one that emphasizes asking questions beyond the point of your own comfort.

Humans were not designed to know all that we know, and it's crushing our ability to communicate well with each other and affect positive change.

Speaking coach Neil Gordon joins the podcast to recount how school "educated me out of an interest in reading and communication," and his journey back to a love of both.   Neil specializes in persuasion and helping speakers create more compelling narratives in their stories. Out of that work, Neil says, a path to ward off pessimism and skepticism emerges.   Check out A Prayer for Owen Meany, the b...

I had the opportunity to join Steve Leskovec — a former guest on this podcast — on his radio show in Ohio to discuss effective communication.   As you'll hear, Steve and I spent most of our conversation focused on conflict communication and how we can show up better in situations where we disagree with others.

In this episode, I speak with Mischa Zvegintzov about his journey to sobriety at 17 years old and how getting in touch with his emotions and his curiosity fueled a new approach to relationships with others.   Check out Mischa's work at https://www.theinfluencearmy.com/ . 

Clichés and jargon are hampering your ability to effectively and confidently communicate your views and ideas with others.   In this episode, I walk you through a few ways you can ditch throwaway sayings and phrases and replace them with more impactful language.   Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to grab your free worksheet on the Detail Sprinkle Method at https://michaelashford.com/news...

Rich  Harwood , President and Founder of The  Harwood Institute, joins me on this episode.   Over the past 35+ years, Rich has used his philosophy and practice of how community leaders can solve shared problems and deepen people's civic belief worldwide to tackle some of the most deeply divisive issues.   As Rich explains, we need a better way to communicate through change, where we get out of the...

This episode exposes a cunning and sometimes dangerous communication tactic we employ when we face disagreement or opposition.   The "stick to sports" clapback that has pervaded our discourse on deeply challenging and controversial topics is an attempt to limit another human being, relying on strict and uncompromising assumptions and presumptions about who they are and the value they bring to a pa...

Aden Nepom helps people build better habits around communication and collaboration to experience more joy in their work through her work with her company, Art of Change.   The feeling of joy as a conversational outcome is an interesting one, and Aden defines that joy as wholeness, excitement, and a sense of goodness in oneself.   As Aden describes, change requires experiencing it, and grief is a n...

If you want to bring about real, lasting, sustainable change in others, your efforts will be greatly helped if you become a more curious person.   As I explain in this episode, curiosity about others leads to greater understanding and less reliance on forcing others to change.   To give yourself a boost of curiosity, there are two questions you can begin asking yourself to set up more positive con...

Tim Wenzel is back on the show to discuss his book, "The Kindness Games," which he co-authored with Lee Oughton.   Tim was my guest in episode 104, where he shared how the original idea of The Kindness Games came about. Now that the book is out, Tim shares what went into writing it, the lessons learned, the stories highlighted, and his hope for the message.   Perhaps most importantly, Tim wants us...

Is an unawareness of sunk costs sabotaging your communication efforts?   We often hold on to decisions, beliefs, and strategies simply because we've already poured time, money, or energy into them, even when we know they are no longer serving us well or are no longer aligned with who we are.   Understanding the role that sunk costs play in our decision-making — and how to work with them, not again...