Lecture Notes: Emotional Awareness and Communication

Introduction

• Host: Matt Abrahams, teaches strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
• Guest: Seline Too, facilitator of Stanford GSB's Interpersonal Dynamics course (Touchy Feely), CEO coach, GSB graduate.
• Discusses the value of emotions in communication.

Interpersonal Dynamics Course

• Known as: Touchy Feely
• Focus: Effective interpersonal communication both professionally and personally.
• Exercise Highlight: Influence Line
  • Students rank each other based on perceived influence, leading to introspection and behavior change.
• Personal Story: Seline shares her experience of being ranked low and how it prompted her to adapt her behavior.

Developing Emotional Awareness

• Self-Reflection: Introspection and seeking feedback for communication improvement.
• Emotional Agency: Ability to choose different behaviors based on context.

Strategies for Emotional Connection in Professional Settings

• Empathy and Connection:
  • Use strategies to bring empathy into logical work environments.
  • David Bradford's Advice: "Stealth it in with a check-in"
    • Start meetings with a feeling check-in to create personal connections.
  • Alternative Prompt: Ask about a good/bad thing that happened today.

Importance of Detailed Emotional Understanding

• Feelings as Data:
  • The importance of understanding detailed emotions to improve communication.
  • Use tools like Carol Robin's feelings chart for emotional check-ins.

Managing Conflicts and Disagreements

• Empathy: Key to handling conflict.
• Gottman's 5:1 Ratio: Five positive interactions for every negative one in successful relationships.
  • Build emotional "piggy banks" with positive interactions.

Enhancing Empathy Skills

• Advice vs. Support:
  • Ask if people need support or advice. Often, they prefer support.

Key Communication Advice

• Best Advice: "People will remember how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
• Admired Communicator: Steve Jobs for his passionate and simple storytelling.
• Communication Recipe:
  • Listening to understand.
  • Finding commonality.
  • Connecting through feelings.

Conclusion

• Reflection: Importance of integrating emotional awareness into communication.
• End Note: Practice and preparation enhance communication skills.