Publisher’s
write-up:
‘Who and what are supercommunicators? They're the people who can steer a
conversation to a successful conclusion. They are able to talk about difficult
topics without giving offence. They know how to make others feel at ease and
share what they think. They're brilliant facilitators and decision-guiders. How
do they do it?
In this groundbreaking book, Charles Duhigg unravels the secrets of the
supercommunicators to reveal the art - and the science - of successful
communication. He unpicks the different types of everyday conversation and
pinpoints why some go smoothly while others swiftly fall apart. He reveals the
conversational questions and gambits that bring people together. And he shows
how even the most tricky of encounters can be turned around. In the process, he
shows why a CIA operative was able to win over a reluctant spy, how a member of
a jury got his fellow jurors to view an open-and-shut case differently, and
what a doctor found they needed to do to engage with a vaccine sceptic.
Above all, he reveals the techniques we can all master to successfully
connect with others, however tricky the circumstances. Packed with fascinating
case studies and drawing on cutting-edge research, this book will change the
way you think about what you say, and how you say it.’
Supercommunicators is a book
written by the journalist Charles Duhigg, known for his previous book The Power of Habit (click here to read my review of the book). Having loved that
book, I was looking forward to reading Supercommunicators, given how important
communication is in our everyday lives.
The book is split into different sections and similar to Power of Habit –
the author explains the key to effective communication is answering these three
questions in any situation – What’s this about, How do we feel, and who we
are ?. These address the subject, emotions and identity as well, all of
which have always been important to us.
The author gives examples of a CIA agent, whose job it was to recruit
spies and after initial failures, how he had managed to overcome by clearly
expressing how he felt. Other examples include that of a doctor who manages to
engage with people who oppose vaccination and explain how people are emotional
much as we try to think of ourselves as ‘logical robots’. There was also the
case of Leroy Reed that the author examines, a convict in the US who was tried
by the jury for violating terms of his parole and how by effective
communication by one of the jurors, they could move the consensus position.
The author’s quest to simplify communication down to three simple
questions is interesting and is even perhaps effective. I think I would perhaps
keep that in mind the next time that I get into a conversation. The author also
gave several real world examples of how these principles were used effectively.
That said, this book did not communicate effectively with me. The reason
why the previous book communicated with me was that the examples were relatable
whereas here, it is obscure – either someone in a scientific study or a CIA
recruitment agent trying to hire someone for one of the most risky assignments,
a situation which most people would never be in.
Some of what the author says is evident to most people, that nobody
likes someone who is patronising or condescending. That said, some of the
author’s suggestion seemed to indicate that he wanted the reader to put the
other person’s needs at utmost priority, which is a good trait for a salesperson
but not for a conversation among equals and I am unsure of the impact that
could have on the mental health on the long run. This was the same criticism I had
about How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (click here to read my review of that book).
To conclude, I felt this was a very interesting idea for a book, but
also a topic that has been written a lot about and the author did not present
any significantly new ideas. There have been several books written post
Covid-19 pandemic of doctors convincing anti-vaxxers using effective
communication techniques, that one more added no new perspective to me.
However, the small parts where the author structured the questions to be asked
and answered to strike an effective communication could still be useful and
pertinent. Weighing these aspects, I award the book a rating of four on ten.
Rating – 4/10
Have a nice day,
Andy
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