The Power of Connection: Communication and Happiness

Ever had a conversation that just clicked—where you felt truly heard and understood? What if you could create that kind of connection more often?

Best-selling author Charles Duhigg joins Debbie in a conversation about his latest book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. 

Discover the psychology of great conversations, the power of reciprocal vulnerability, and easy strategies for handling difficult conversations without losing control as we break down what makes some people exceptional communicators and how we can all cultivate those abilities in our daily lives.

Whether your goal is to improve your listening skills, build stronger relationships, or simply feel more comfortable in social settings, this episode is full of ideas to help you connect more deeply.Listen and Learn: 

• How "Supercommunicators" master connection
• The recipe for instant connection and how small shifts in communication can turn strangers into friends
• The Matching Principle and how syncing conversation types can help strengthen your relationships and connections
• Why mastering communication is key to lifelong well-being and how stronger connections can lead you to lasting happiness.
• How you can use the "matching principle" with your own partner to create deeper, more connected conversations
• Tips for asking deep questions to help you connect more meaningfully and move beyond small talk
• Shifting control in conflicts to create teamwork and healthier relationships
• How quiet negotiations can transform tougher conversations into mutual understanding

Resources: 

• Charles’ Website: https://www.charlesduhigg.com/
• Charles’ Book: Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
• Connect with Charles on Socials: 
• https://twitter.com/cduhigg
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesduhigg/
• https://www.instagram.com/charlesduhigg/
• https://www.facebook.com/charlesduhigg
• Yael’s Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/04/19/couples-conversation-communications-understanding-problem-solving/

About Charles Duhigg 

A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School, Charles is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and the author of The Power of Habit, which spent over three years on bestseller lists and has been translated into 40 languages, Supercommunicators, also a bestseller published in 2024, and Smarter Faster Better, a third bestseller. Mr. Duhigg writes for The New Yorker magazine and previously wrote for The New York Times.

Charles led the New York Times team that won the 2013 Pulitzer prize in explanatory journalism for “The iEconomy,” a series that examined the global economy through the lens of Apple. That series included examinations of such topics as the factories in China where iPhones and iPads are manufactured.

Charles has also received The George Polk award, the Gerald Loeb award, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Medal, the Scripps Howard National Journalism award, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and other honors.

While a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, Charles reported from Iraq about American military operations. Today, Charles writes for The New Yorker magazine.

Before becoming a full-time journalist in 2003, Charles worked as an analyst for American Property Global Partners, a private equity firm and co-founded SWPA Education Management Group, L.L.C., which developed education programs for medically underserved areas.

He was also, for one terrifying day in 1999, a bike messenger in San Francisco.

He lives in California with his wife and two children.

Related Episodes:

• 276. Assertive Communication Skills with Randy Paterson
• 254. Cultivating Compassion for a Lasting Connection with Michaela Thomas
• 360. The Laws of Connection with David Robson
• 353. Ask Great Questions with Jeff Wetzler

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices