Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection

From the Globe and Mail and New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit, an investigation of what makes conversations work, and how we can all learn to be supercommunicators at work and in our lives.

We all know people who seem capable of connecting with almost anyone. They are the ones we turn to for advice, the ones who ask deep questions but who also seem to hear what we are trying to say. What do they know about conversation that makes them so special? And what can they tell us about how communication really works?

Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg argues, understand—some by intuition, some by hard-won experience—that there is a science to how human beings connect through words. They understand that whenever we speak, we're actually participating in three distinct conversations: What is this really about? How do we feel? And who are we? They know the importance of recognizing—and then matching—each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations and hidden beliefs that color and inform everything we say. Our pasts, our values, our affiliations—our identities—shape every discussion we have, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work.

With his trademark insight and clarity, Duhigg shows readers how to recognize these three conversations—and teaches us the skills we need to navigate them more successfully. Communication, he argues, is a superpower. By bringing readers into jury deliberations and fraught CIA recruitments, into Netflix's company-wide conversations about equity and the writers' room of The Big Bang Theory, we learn why some people are able to make themselves heard—and to hear others—so clearly. We learn how to recognize and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation. In the end, we learn a simple but powerful lesson: We can connect with anyone, as long as we understand how conversations work.

About the Author :
CHARLES DUHIGG is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and the author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Yale College, he is a winner of the National Academies of Sciences, National Journalism, and George Polk awards. He writes for The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine and other publications, and is the host of the podcast How To! with Charles Duhigg.

Review :
Praise for Supercommunicators:

"In lucid prose, Duhigg breaks conversation down to its fundamentals, providing both an actionable guide and a revealing peek into the psychological needs and motivations that underpin human interaction. It’s a smart, revelatory look at the complex ways in which humans’ conflict and connect." —Publishers Weekly

"[Duhigg] delves deeply into the nature and structure of conversations, combining his own careful observations of "supercommunicators" with relevant research. . . . With a focus on practical advice, Duhigg unpacks the essential tools for effective positive conversations." —Kirkus Reviews

"This approach of connecting and finding common ground is the thread through Mr. Duhigg’s book. . . . There are some real gems here." —The Wall Street Journal

"This is not just a riveting read about how to understand others better. It’s also a revealing look at how to be understood. Charles Duhigg delivers a winning combination of stories, studies and guidance that might well transform the worst communicators you know into some of the best."
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential 

"In Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg goes through a mountain of research—and some riveting stories—and unearths practical tactics to show that anyone can become a more effective listener, speaker and even social media poster." —David Epstein, bestselling author of Range and The Sports Gene

"A much-needed guide to connecting in disconnected times." —Amanda Ripley, author of High Conflict

"Charles Duhigg does it again, with a book we all need to read. Using his unique mix of stories and science, his gives us Supercommunicators, a guide to better conversation and deeper human connection. If you want to improve your communication skills at work and in life, this book is the place to start." —Arthur C. Brooks, professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Charles Duhigg’s anecdote-heavy writing makes for a breezy read. . . . I came away not feeling intimidated but encouraged." —NPR