Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg explores the people who consistently guide conversations towards successful outcomes. These “supercommunicators” can address difficult subjects without causing offence, help others feel comfortable enough to share their views, and act as skilled facilitators and decision-guiders.

In this book, Duhigg examines both the art and the science of effective communication. He breaks down different kinds of everyday conversation and looks at why some exchanges flow easily while others quickly unravel. The book also highlights conversational questions and approaches that can bring people together, and considers how challenging encounters can be turned around.

Key details

• Author: Charles Duhigg
• Focuses on “supercommunicators” and how they communicate
• Explores different types of everyday conversation
• Includes case studies and references to research

Synopsis

Charles Duhigg sets out to explain what makes certain people exceptionally effective in conversation. He identifies patterns in everyday dialogue, showing why some discussions succeed while others fall apart, and outlines questions and conversational gambits that help people connect.

Alongside research, the book draws on examples including a CIA operative persuading a reluctant spy, a juror shifting how others viewed an apparently straightforward case, and a doctor learning how to engage with a vaccine sceptic. Duhigg’s aim is to reveal techniques that can be learned and applied in difficult circumstances.