Supercommunicators

18 snips

Sep 30, 2025

Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of "Supercommunicators," explores the intricacies of effective communication. He reveals how assumptions often lead to misunderstandings, stressing the importance of confirming mutual understanding. Duhigg categorizes conversations into practical, emotional, and social types, explaining how misalignments can create frustration. He shares techniques for mirroring conversational needs to build trust, offers strategies for navigating emotional conflicts at work, and emphasizes the value of reading non-verbal cues.

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ANECDOTE

Antibiotic Handoff Failure

A hospital miscommunication about an antibiotic led to a patient developing a serious infection.
Everyone thought they were doing their job correctly until assumptions caused a life-threatening oversight.

INSIGHT

Meaning Over Mouths

Communication is about what actually lands with the other person, not what you say.
Confirming shared meaning and understanding prevents costly assumptions.

INSIGHT

Three Conversation Types

Conversations fall into practical, emotional, or social categories and often mix.
Misalignment in conversation type makes it nearly impossible to truly hear each other.

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How often do our teams, family members, or collaborators end up misunderstanding each other even when we think we’re being perfectly clear? In this episode, we dive into the high cost of miscommunication and what it takes to become a “super communicator” in a noisy, divided world. We’re joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg, whose new book “Supercommunicators” unlocks why our conversations so often miss the mark—and offers a toolkit for breaking through confusion and building true alignment.

Together, we explore how clarity, empathy, and attention are more crucial than ever, especially as our workplaces and lives move online. From hospital handoffs to debates with Uncle Gary, we unpack the vital art of matching the right kind of conversation, listening deeply, and decoding the signals that don’t show up in written words. If you’ve ever walked away from an exchange realizing you and your counterpart were simply talking past one another, this episode is for you.

Five Key Learnings from This Episode:

Assumptions are the enemy of understanding. We can’t assume others interpret our words as we intend; confirming mutual understanding is essential—even in routine exchanges.
There are three types of conversations—practical, emotional, and social. Misalignment around which conversation is taking place is often the root cause of frustration and disconnect.
“Matching” the conversation builds trust. Super communicators detect what kind of conversation someone needs and mirror it—acknowledging emotion when present, before pivoting to solutions.
Deep questions invite deeper connection. Asking about values, motivations, or experiences (rather than just surface details) opens the door for more meaningful dialogue.
Non-linguistic cues are powerful—but different channels require different strategies. Tone, posture, and facial expressions matter, but in written or digital communication, politeness, clarity, and rereading from the receiver’s perspective become the superpowers.

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