sunil nair

Tag: communication

  • Internal communication isn’t about creating content or sending newsletters

    One of the biggest misconceptions of leaders, managers, and even marketers across organizations is that they think of internal communications as a role reserved for junior people. Marketers consider it a stepping stone to the big leagues, marketing to other businesses or a target market. Most leaders think that internal communications are about rolling out…

  • Driving an effective organisational communication strategy

    As much as I hate cliches, the one about “culture eating strategy for breakfast” is the bitterest, most accurate, and yet the most ignored. And this is particularly the case in the world of organisational communication, where leadership teams spend countless hours coming up with the perfect “strategy” that aligns with their vision. Only to…

  • Writing and speaking are powerful but sharing is a superpower!

    While reflecting on the importance of writing and speaking (solo or with a partner via my podcast) in the bigger scheme of things, I had a profound realization — these aren’t random marketing/personal branding activities for me, but practices that I enjoy. There’s a much deeper emotional connection than merely writing words or speaking, some…

  • Write what you repeat

    Over the past few years, I’ve realized that I don’t have a method or writing system. The words flow in if I decide to block out the distractions and get to work, irrespective of the time of the day. Of course, the best writing happens when I’m feeling mentally fresh, and there’s nothing else on…

  • Don’t let gossipmongers ruin your company’s culture

    Everyone loves to gossip, but nobody likes to admit they do. It’s a fact. And I don’t care if you’re shaking your head right now. Understand the true definition of gossip as per the dictionary: a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others rumour or report of an intimate nature a chatty…

  • Punishing the messenger

    Despite our best intentions to not shoot the messenger, more often than not, we end up doing just that. It happens all the time with all of us. Of course, we know the messenger is only trying to help or pass on information, insights, or suggestions from their perspective. And yet we blow them up!…

  • Withholding information

    Regardless of what most people think — intentionally withholding information rarely does any good. And while leaders who practice this intend to gain power or maintain some advantage over others (the ones with whom they don’t want to share the information), rarely does it achieve the desired effect. For all we know, it ends up…

  • Starting with “No,” “But,” or “However”

    If failing to communication is one of the biggest mistakes of leaders, starting with a “no,” “but,” or “however” is anathema. Now, we may not think much while slipping these words in our day-to-day conversations, but they act like subtle qualifiers that say, “I’m right, you’re wrong.” And the messaging doesn’t change regardless of the…

  • The not-so-obvious ways to have a more in-depth conversation with anyone

    I rarely peruse through the New York Times for management and leadership insights. Not that I don’t expect any from their incredible panel of award-winning journalists, but the idea of finding a useful piece (for me) amidst all that content feels like an arduous task. Every once in a while though, I bump into something…

  • The Five Levels of Communication

    Ed Batista’s 5 Levels of Communication is a fascinating model of human interaction. He was inspired by Richard Francisco’s Five Levels of Communication (which comprises Chapter 2.6 of the Reading Book for Human Relations Training, the 8th edition.). Nonetheless, the model is worth a study, particularly if you’re a leader. The version below is my…