Tom Verrall

Many people find it difficult to speak up in meetings. Some stay silent because they aren’t completely sure of their point. Others push too hard because they feel they need to persuade everyone else. Both behaviours often come from the same place: the belief that if you’re going to contribute, you need to win. What do I mean by win? Well, perhaps you need to have the best idea. The strongest argument. The answer that everyone agrees with. That’s a lot of pressure to handle. And pressure...

Words shape perception. As a communication coach, I often remind clients that the phrases we use repeatedly can either strengthen relationships or quietly undermine them. Many expressions have become so common in workplace communication that we barely notice them. Language habits are sneaky. We repeat phrases because everyone around us uses them, not because they’re the most effective way to communicate. And indeed some can sound dismissive, defensive, vague or unnecessarily negative;...

A lot of communication advice still assumes disagreement is relatively straightforward. Two people look at the same situation, interpret it differently, talk it through, and hopefully reach some kind of mutual understanding. But, increasingly, that’s not what difficult conversations feel like anymore. Whether at work or elsewhere, there’s often a sense that people aren’t simply disagreeing with each other, rather, they’re operating from completely different versions of reality. Different...