Communication Practices

I hadn’t heard the term “social distancing” until a couple of weeks ago. Now, social distancing is changing the way we work, live, and connect. If early-wave countries like South Korea and Singapore offer any guidance, this trend will be with us for months, perhaps the rest of the year. This pandemic isn’t just a global disruption; for many it’s

Read more

Ever feel this way when you’ve been interrupted? If only all interruptions were so obvious. Most of the ways we interrupt others aren’t, especially when it’s us doing the interrupting. I define an interruption as inserting my frame of reference into a conversation before the speaker has finished saying all they want to say. If it’s a low-stakes conversation, casual

Read more

Problems get a bad rap in business. They’re so negative! So much so that in some organizations there are no problems, only euphemistic “opportunities.” Another common refrain employees sometimes hear from their managers is, “don’t bring me a problem without also bringing me a solution.” The intention behind these sentiments is understandable. Problems are easy to call out without taking

Read more

Most of us aren’t great at appreciating others. Were better at seeing what’s wrong than what someone is doing well. That’s not a surprise; throughout our lives our teachers, coaches, bosses – even our loved ones! – are far more likely to point out our mistakes than our successes. Its natural for us to do the same. In informal polls

Read more

A mentor of mine, the late Gordy Myers, was a master of organizational change. Over the years he watched leaders create change plans that presumed the people impacted by the change would be on board or get on board quickly. Rather than get dazzled by the plans or the bright future ahead, Gordy was a “commitment” guy. Knowing that change

Read more

If there’s been a theme to the conversations I’ve had with clients this year, it’s the growing cost they’re experiencing related to this bail-bruise dynamic. For one client, it undermines their inclusion and engagement efforts, effecting their ability to retain and compete for talent. With another, it undermines their innovation efforts. For a third privately-held company, it is complicating an

Read more

Last year I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Paul Jones, CEO of Magneto Communications, a training firm that helps people be more efficient, effective, and influential in the way they write. Paul’s blog includes interviews with thought leaders on the topics of influence and communication. I’m honored to have been included. Here’s an abridged version of that interview:Paul Jones: Who,

Read more

Ten or so years ago I got a call from a global consulting firm that specializes in risk management. They help clients around the world manage financial risk, cyber security, corporate misconduct, and fraud potential. So why were they calling Ridge? To help manage a risk they observed in their own organization: everyday communication. I had never thought about communication as

Read more

A few years ago I tuned into This American Life, the radio show and hugely popular podcast hosted by Ira Glass. Just as I turned it on, I heard Glass conclude a story this way: “If listening is all it takes to overcome bad behavior… If listening is more powerful than meanness, sloth, or depression… It’s like a trick from a

Read more

Confronting performance problems, giving tough feedback, being candid about smoldering conflicts, delivering bad news: these are the impending conversations that keep you up at night, or that you wake to in the morning. They occupy your mind while you’re trying to do other work. You wonder, “How am I going to bring it up?” Your mind makes movies about what

Read more