Communication and Influence: How to Speak and Write so People Act

The adult reality

Communication isn’t a “talent” — it’s structure + intent + practice. Your job is to create clarity and move people towards a decision, without wasting time.

Structures that actually work

Pyramid Principle (start with the point)

• Lead with the conclusion and the ask.
• Group reasons into 2–4 logical chunks.
• Close with clear next steps.
• Example: “I recommend we migrate process X. It reduces costs by 18% and frees 2 hours/day. Below: comparison and rollout plan.”

Executive storytelling

• Situation → Complication → Resolution.
• Use just enough data to add weight, not to drown people.
• Finish with the decision you need.

Emails that get a reply

• Subject line with a clear action and deadline.
• First paragraph: context + ask + due date.
• Body in three bullet points; named attachments; close with “Next step: …”.
• Use a concise, respectful tone — Kiwi straightforwardness beats long emails.

Meetings and presentations that respect people’s time

• Before:
  • State the objective in one sentence, invite the right people, share pre-reads.
• During:
  • Signal structure (“three quick points”), keep decisions visible, timebox discussion.
• After:
  • Send a one-page summary within 24 hours: decisions, owners, deadlines, risks.

Feedback and hard conversations (NVC)

• Observation (no judgement) → Feeling → Need → Request.
• Example: “When the report arrives late, I get concerned about the client. I need predictability. Can we confirm status the day before by 4pm?”

A 7‑day practice sprint (15 minutes/day)

• Day 1: Rewrite an important email using Pyramid.
• Day 2: Turn a report into three slides, one insight per slide.
• Day 3: Run a 15‑minute meeting with a clear agenda and a recorded decision.
• Days 4–5: Request and give one piece of specific feedback.
• Days 6–7: Record a 3‑minute talk and review clarity and timing.

Final tips

• Swap adjectives for numbers.
• One idea per paragraph.
• Strategic pauses beat speaking louder.