Here are 68 communication quotes by Eric Douglas, author of Straight Talk.

“When we think of straight talk, we imagine a world where everyone takes responsibility for clear, honest, and open communication.”

Eric Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“We all have our own styles of communicating – and our different styles affect everything we hear and say.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The pitfalls that lie in wait as we process and convey information occur in a moment’s time and we are thus unconscious of them.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“How we process information can be changed and made more effective by challenging the way we think.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Competence in communication does not come easily. Ground rules, like rules of the road, are necessary to avoid crashing into one another while we try to communicate.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Competence in communication means challenging and changing the ways we listen and talk to one another. It means turning some of our traditional ideas about communication upside down.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Asking questions – especially good questions – is a sign of competence in communicating. Flatly stating your opinions is a sign of incompetence.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Curiosity is a reflection of competence. Certainty is a reflection of incompetence.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Good communicators realize that knowing all the answers isn’t a sign of competence. It’s most often a sign of incompetence.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The need to respond quickly to market changes creates the need for a less rigid and bureaucratic work environment. Information must flow up, down, and across traditional channels.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“No longer is it enough to have a few skilled communicators at key nodal points. The need for fast response time requires everyone to be a competent communicator.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The emergence of teams as the basic unit of business requires people to communicate effectively and reach consensus quickly. They need to know how to work through complex issues on their own and how to resolve conflicts without relying on a boss.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The increasing number of people working in global organizations drives the demand for more skillful communicators.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“When people collaborate on projects from offices separated by thousands of miles, when cultural differences can exacerbate shortfalls in communication, the standard opportunities to build trust and goodwill simply don’t exist. Small misunderstandings can escalate into bigger conflicts. Knowing the tools for effective communication is therefore an essential – if not the essential – competency of the global corporation.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Technology is driving people toward new ways of communicating. More and more people are working in virtual offices, spread across multiple, sometimes moving, locations. At dozens of companies teleconferencing and e-mailing are replacing staff meetings. But virtual teams can grind to a virtual halt in a hurry if poor communication prevails.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Technology has increased the volume of communications, but quantity has not improved quality.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“There is a wide recognition that the old ways of interacting among employees have simply reached the end of their useful life span. Today, new competitors arise so quickly that organizations that don’t continually change and improve are left in the dust.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Straight Talk is intended to provide a set of tools for people who aspire to be part of a learning organization. It is for people to challenge their own thinking – and to engage others in effective solutions.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Straight Talk is intended to help build the social underpinnings of the twenty-first-century organization, where straight talk is the norm, not the exception.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“As outsiders, consultants can ask the questions that people don’t ask: Why is this done this way? What is your reasoning? Did you consider other options? Their job is to challenge the conventional wisdom. Consultants diagnose and treat these specific problems to the best of their ability. But organizations shouldn’t depend on outsiders to ask challenging questions. Insiders should ask those questions, too.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The Straight Talk Survey forms the foundation of the tools designed to help anyone in an organization become a skilled, competent communicator.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Most people are lazy communicators even in the simplest situations – managing their time, laying out a task, setting goals. People communicate in clumsy ways because it’s easier than communicating expertly.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“If we communicate ineffectively in normal situations, imagine how we behave in a challenging situation.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“In situations where straight talk is most needed, it is most likely to be elusive.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Think of the costs of inexpert communication. Think of the opportunities, misdirected resources, and underutilized human capital.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“At the heart of straight talk lies a willingness to accept that change is the only thing we can count on.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“When people first discover their styles, it’s often an epiphany. They turn to each other and say: “So that’s why you love details!” Or: “Now I see why you and I get along so well!” People will spend hours talking about the insights they’ve gained. It’s not unusual to see people huddled together, comparing their styles and saying, “If only I had known this when…”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Research shows that people communicate in measurably different ways that reflect differences in what they choose to hear and say. Some people focus on feelings. Some focus on tasks. Some focus on the big picture. Some on the smallest details. These choices determine how we relate to the world.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Understanding our style is tantamount to understanding how we see the world around us. In a sense, our world is a reflection of our communication style.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Communication styles are a manifestation of our personalities. But they are not the same as personality. Personality is relatively stable, changing only subtly over time. Our style of communicating, on the other hand, is a learned behavior. We can modify it once we learn how.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Skilled communicators can modify their style on the spot, as the situation warrants. Just like reading a book, hitting a baseball, or diving into the pool, modifying your communication style is a skill. It doesn’t come naturally. But once you learn it, it’s a skill you can use all your life.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“When people perceive you as a competent communicator, something magical happens. People look to you for leadership. They pay more attention to you, knowing that you respect them.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“For managers and leaders, understanding communication styles is an indispensable skill. It enables them to translate differences in what people say. It enables them to mediate conflicts. And it paves the way for successful discussions about complex subjects.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Our styles of communicating grew out of the needs of society. Carved out for us by our ancestors, and ingrained in our culture like ancient riverbeds, our styles of communicating naturally flow in one of four directions because society needs them in order to thrive.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“No one style is better than the others, but it may be to your advantage to play up one style over another, depending on the situation.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Most people vacillate frequently between their primary and secondary communication styles. Our overall style becomes a combination of these two styles. It’s like mixing lemon into tea: The concoction has a flavor all its own.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“It’s exciting when you first use communication skills. And it never ceases to be exciting. Meeting new people is more enjoyable. Your colleagues are more responsive. Managing your boss becomes easier. Team members feel that you relate to them better. Your own strengths emerge to their full advantage. It can make every relationship more interesting and productive. Why? Because you’re tuning yourself to maximize the quality of your communications.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Of the nearly infinite things we could be aware of at any one time we focus on only a few. At the center of this selection process sits our attention. Attentions differ, which dramatically alters the way people see and respond to the exact same situation.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“If one person pays attention to people and another to buildings, or if one person focuses on tasks while another focuses on feelings, their conversations have the potential to misfire.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Although people sit in the same room or discuss the same topic, they interpret what they hear in radically different ways and draw very different conclusions.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“If people don’t recognize and acknowledge each other’s different ways of thinking, their communications will whiz by each other with little chance for a connection.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Some people approach a decision wanting to get as much data as possible. Others make decisions swiftly. Still others want to generate as many ideas as possible. In case after case, we have found that people can communicate far more effectively once they understand their different styles.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Filtering yields those things to which we pay attention. This invisible and largely unconscious process is always at work. To a large degree, we are our filters, and they are us.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Our filters literally bring order to the chaos. We are a process of elimination – in this case, elimination of data.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“We routinely make the assumption that we all see things the same way. But we each respond in different ways, even if we’re in the same room listening to the same conversation.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“We assume that the “facts” we see are the same as the “facts” that other people see. But we each respond in different ways, even if we’re in the same room listening to the same conversation.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“We assume we have the ability to interpret for others what they see, because we are viewing the same pool of data. But we each respond in different ways, even if we’re in the same room listening to the same conversation.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Our differences aren’t a result of pigheadedness or stupidity. They are a result of the way we communicate.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The larger the frame, the more confident our interpretation. The more we see, the more we feel empowered to speak out about it.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The filtering system determines which data we see; framing determines our response to those data.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“A small frame means we’re going to hesitate, to ask questions, to inquire for more data. A big frame means we’re going to draw conclusions.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The size of our frame determines whether we tend to assert ourselves in a given situation or gather more information. It dictates our levels of assertiveness and inquiry.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Some people set their filters so that more attention is placed on facts; some set them to allow more feelings to come through. Some people set their frames so that their responses are more assertive; some set their frames so that they respond with questions.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Certain behaviors are “markers” for each style, and these markers can help us identify a person’s style. One marker would be sensitivity to people’s feelings. A second marker is how often someone cites specific facts. A third marker is one’s level of assertiveness. And a fourth marker is the extent to which one probes and inquires for more information. Each is a clue to help you determine a person’s style. Understanding these markers is the first step to interpreting the styles of people around you.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“When meeting someone for the first time, there are three things to do: Ask questions, observe reactions, and listen actively.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Once you understand how your style differs from another person’s, you can see how you might modify your communication style to be on the same – or a more similar – wavelength.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“By subtly adapting your style to that of another person, you’ll more quickly reach a level of common understanding – and be able to make decisions that will satisfy you both.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The nature of effective communication between two people is that people prefer a balance, not extremes. Two assertive people will have difficulty getting along.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Opposites do attract – but only if they’re willing to work together.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Once you know someone’s communication style, a single step can mean the difference between a conversation that falters, and one that exceeds your expectations.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Some people find adopting a different style to be unnatural. And it can be. The trick is to act yourself into a way of believing.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“By adopting the body language, the style of speaking, and the mannerisms of a particular style, you will find modifying your style less of a stretch than you think.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“People who learn how to modify their styles with each other can permanently change their relationship. Often it helps to codify the change with ground rules for each person.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The best way to counter the resistance to change is personal experience. The reality is, someone has to feel what it’s like to engage in the change.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Different goals require different types of meetings, and different styles of communication.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“If everyone were a master communicator—incapable of distorting the facts, clear about his or her own motives, able to accept responsibility to see each perspective clearly—then perhaps ground rules would not be necessary. But no one is a perfect communicator.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“Even the best communicators fall into traps and pitfalls. The ground rules are the guardrails that guide a strategic conversation safely home.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

“The managers of every organization imbue its culture with certain habits and tendencies. Over time, however, these habits can become the source of discontent and unresolved conflict. Finding the right balance of management styles is management’s top responsibility–along with ensuring that each style understands its importance to the organization.”

Eric F. Douglas, author of Straight Talk

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