Supercommunicators - by Charles Duhigg

About the Book

"We all know people who seem capable of connecting with almost anyone. They are the ones we turn to for advice, the ones who ask deep questions but also seem to hear what we are trying to say. What do they know about conversation that makes them so special? And what can they tell us about how communication really works? Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg argues, understand--some by intuition, some by hard-won experience--that there is a science to how human beings connect through words. They understand that whenever we speak, we're actually participating in one of three distinct conversations: What is this really about? How do we feel? And who are we? They know the importance of recognizing--and then matching--each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations and hidden beliefs that color and inform everything we say. Our pasts, our values, our affiliations-our identities-shape every discussion we have, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work"--

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit, a fascinating exploration of what makes conversations work, and how we can all learn to be Supercommunicators at work and in life

We all know people who are capable of connecting with almost anyone. They're the ones we love talking to, who we turn to for advice, who hear what we are trying to say and make us feel seen.

What do they know about conversation that makes them so special?

Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg argues, understand that whenever we speak, we're actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What's this really about?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). If you don't know what kind of conversation you're having, connection is hard.

Skilled communicators know the importance of recognizing--and then matching--each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and hidden beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. Our experiences, our values, our emotional lives, and how we see ourselves, and others, shape every discussion, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work.

With his trademark clarity and storytelling, Duhigg shows readers how to recognize these three conversations--and teaches us the skills we need to navigate them more successfully.

Communication is a superpower. By bringing readers into jury deliberations and fraught CIA recruitments, into Netflix's company-wide conversations about equity and the writers' room of The Big Bang Theory, we learn why some people are able to make themselves heard--and to hear others--so clearly. We learn how to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation.

In the end, we learn a simple but powerful lesson: With the right tools, we can connect with anyone.

Review Quotes

"This is not just a riveting read about how to understand others better. It's also a revealing look at how to be understood. Charles Duhigg delivers a winning combination of stories, studies, and guidance that might well transform the worst communicators you know into some of the best."--Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential, and host of the podcast Re: Thinking

"Charles Duhigg does it again, with a book we all need to read. Using his unique mix of stories and science, he gives us Supercommunicators, a guide to better conversation and deeper human connection. If you want to improve your communication skills at work and in life, this book is the place the start."--Arthur C. Brooks, professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and #1 New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and the author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Yale College, he is a winner of the National Academies of Sciences, National Journalism, and George Polk awards. He writes for The New Yorker and other publications, was previously a senior editor at The New York Times, and occasionally hosts the podcast How To!