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Harvard Business Review
29-07-2025
- Business
- Harvard Business Review
Our Favorite Management Tips on Communicating Like a Leader
Each weekday, in our Management Tip of the Day newsletter, HBR offers tips to help you better manage your team—and yourself. Here is a curated selection of our favorite Management Tips on communicating like a leader. Practice Gracious Communication Most of us want to communicate with kindness, but it can be challenging to convey warmth and compassion under frustrating, stressful, or maddening circumstances. Three practices can help you in your day-to-day interactions, as well as big, difficult conversations. First, meet confrontation with grace. This means wearing a smile and exuding patience and courtesy when an employee brings you difficult news or challenges your decision-making. An open-minded tone will signal that you're there to listen, process, and problem-solve—not to reprimand or enforce your own authority. Next, give credit whenever you can. Recognizing your employees and showing them gratitude will engender their enthusiasm, hard work, trust, and loyalty. Finally, give people space and clarity so you don't catch them off guard. Schedule conversations in advance or ask them if it's a good time to talk—and give them a quick preview of what you'd like to talk about. These kind, simple gestures will give your counterpart an opportunity to prepare, and make it clear that you're interested in listening to their response. This tip is adapted from ' The Simple Power of Communicating with Kindness,' by Sally Susman. . . . Communicating with Your Team When Times Are Tough When business challenges mount, your team doesn't need spin—they need clarity. Here's how to be transparent, steady, and constructive, even when you don't have all the answers. Acknowledge what's working. As you address uncertainty, point to areas of progress. Use a 'yes, and' approach: Yes, things are messy—and we're doing good work. Be honest about challenges without slipping into blame or false optimism. Make space for real questions. Don't redirect or minimize concerns. Ask your team what's weighing on them and how it's showing up in their day-to-day work lives. If no one speaks up, check in with trusted team members behind the scenes to get a fuller picture. Respond with care. When you don't have answers, explain what could influence the outcome. Share details only if they affect the team's reality; disclosing what's irrelevant or uncertain creates confusion. Stick to the facts. Avoid speculation. Use data and observable progress to ground your message. Reinforce how the team's work supports key business goals like revenue or efficiency. Model resilience. Show up with calm and clarity. In tough moments, consistency builds trust—and helps your team focus on what they can control. This tip is adapted from ' How to Communicate with Your Team When Business Is Bad,' by Rebecca Knight. . . . Deliver a Message That Sticks Whether you're giving a presentation, writing an email, or leading a meeting, it's important to communicate your message in a way that's memorable. By mastering a few strategies based in memory science, you can create messages that linger in the minds of your audience, leaving a lasting impact. Here's how. Chunk it up. Your audience can only handle three to four pieces of information at once. Organizing your key points under one central idea will help them retain details and connect the dots. Make it concrete. Abstract ideas are tough to remember. Use vivid, relatable examples that evoke sensory details to create a mental image your audience won't forget. Provide callbacks. Revisit earlier points to strengthen your audience's recall. Subtle reminders of previous content help reinforce memory and tie new information to existing knowledge. Spark curiosity. Don't just deliver answers—pose intriguing questions that highlight knowledge gaps. Curiosity fuels memory, making your message stick. This tip is adapted from ' How to Craft a Memorable Message, According to Science,' by Charan Ranganath. . . . Communicate Directly—Not Rudely Direct communication is an important work skill—especially for a manager. Being clear about what you want and need from people (and why) makes everything more efficient. But if you're too harsh, you can end up doing more harm than good. Here's how to toe the line between being direct and veering into rudeness. When delivering feedback, focus on facts. Remove your emotions from the conversation, and instead give the person honest, concrete evidence about their performance. Your goal is to help them grow, not to vent. When expressing an opinion, use 'I' statements. Avoid making accusations or casting blame, which will put your employee on the defensive. Instead of calling them out and pointing fingers, call them in by expressing your experience of their behavior. Turn a hard 'no' into a soft 'no.' As a direct person, your instinct may be to unambiguously reject an inessential work request that comes in when you just don't have the bandwidth to take it on. But if you're too blunt, you risk being perceived as someone who doesn't want to collaborate or help out. Instead, find the compassion to offer an alternative that works better for you and your schedule, or kindly explain why it's impossible for you to take on. When making a request, be considerate, not commanding. There's nothing wrong with giving clear, direct instructions and assignments. Just remember to be reasonable, express gratitude, and offer support if your employee needs it. This tip is adapted from ' How to Be Direct Without Being Rude,' by Yasmina Khelifi and Irina Cozma. . . . Communicating Difficult Decisions When You Can't Be Fully Transparent When you have to communicate a difficult organizational decision, it's hard to know how much information to provide, particularly when you can't be fully transparent yet. Saying nothing can undermine people's trust, and saying too much can leave people feeling overwhelmed. You can strike the balance by being candid—up to a point. Frame the situation's context clearly so people understand why the organization is considering big changes. Explain that you'll be as transparent as possible, use plain language (not corporate-speak), and respond to questions. People appreciate honesty, even if the message is incomplete or not what they want to hear. Be precise about what you can say now and when you'll say more, providing an overall timeline for the process. But avoid giving people running commentary as developments unfold; it can lead to unhelpful distractions and take up considerable management time. If possible, let employees in on the options you're considering, showing the logic behind your coming actions. This builds trust and helps mitigate the anxiety they may be feeling as they consider every combination of eventualities (including catastrophic ones). It also prevents them from feeling caught by surprise when you announce the final set of changes. This tip is adapted from ' Talking About a Difficult Decision—When You Can't Share All the Details,' by David Lancefield. . . . Sharpen Your Writing Skills Regardless of your job, rank, or industry, written communication is a skill that can set you apart from your peers. Here's a three-step framework to help you level up as a writer—whether you're writing an email, a formal document, a social post, or something else. First, determine the purpose of what you're writing. What result do you want to achieve? Are you looking to inform, persuade, or make a request? Let that purpose inform the substance and style of your communication from beginning to end. Then, identify exactly who your audience is and speak directly to them. This means using language that they understand and a voice that resonates with them. It also means anticipating and answering their questions—before they need to ask. Finally, what's your point? This is the essential substance of your writing. To locate the message you're aiming to deliver, ask yourself how you would explain it to your audience in 15 seconds or less. Then, get to the point early in your document, within the first 40 to 50 words. This tip is adapted from ' How to Take Your Business Writing From 'Average' to 'Great,'' by Elizabeth Danziger. . . . Great Leadership Is About Great Communication To be an effective leader, you need to become an exceptional communicator. Here are four strategies to help you motivate and inspire your team with your words. Use simple language to write about complex things. Long, complicated sentences make written ideas hard to understand because they demand more concentration. You'll win more supporters if you replace long words and sentences with shorter, more straightforward ones. Choose sticky metaphors. When you introduce a new or abstract idea, your audience will search for something they recognize to help them make sense of it. A metaphor is a powerful tool that compares or equates a new, abstract idea to a familiar image or concept. Humanize data. Slide decks with statistics and charts are helpful, but limited. The trick to making any data point interesting is to humanize it by placing the number in perspective. Any time you introduce numbers, take the extra step to make them engaging, memorable, and, ultimately, persuasive. Emphasize your mission. Shine a spotlight on your company's purpose across communication channels: meetings, memos, emails, presentations, social media, and marketing material. If your mission stands for something, then stand up for it.
Harvard Business Review
24-07-2025
- Business
- Harvard Business Review
Our Favorite Managements Tips on Communicating Like a Leader
Each weekday, in our Management Tip of the Day newsletter, HBR offers tips to help you better manage your team—and yourself. Here is a curated selection of our favorite Management Tips on communicating like a leader. Practice Gracious Communication Most of us want to communicate with kindness, but it can be challenging to convey warmth and compassion under frustrating, stressful, or maddening circumstances. Three practices can help you in your day-to-day interactions, as well as big, difficult conversations. First, meet confrontation with grace. This means wearing a smile and exuding patience and courtesy when an employee brings you difficult news or challenges your decision-making. An open-minded tone will signal that you're there to listen, process, and problem-solve—not to reprimand or enforce your own authority. Next, give credit whenever you can. Recognizing your employees and showing them gratitude will engender their enthusiasm, hard work, trust, and loyalty. Finally, give people space and clarity so you don't catch them off guard. Schedule conversations in advance or ask them if it's a good time to talk—and give them a quick preview of what you'd like to talk about. These kind, simple gestures will give your counterpart an opportunity to prepare, and make it clear that you're interested in listening to their response. This tip is adapted from ' The Simple Power of Communicating with Kindness,' by Sally Susman. . . . Communicating with Your Team When Times Are Tough When business challenges mount, your team doesn't need spin—they need clarity. Here's how to be transparent, steady, and constructive, even when you don't have all the answers. Acknowledge what's working. As you address uncertainty, point to areas of progress. Use a 'yes, and' approach: Yes, things are messy—and we're doing good work. Be honest about challenges without slipping into blame or false optimism. Make space for real questions. Don't redirect or minimize concerns. Ask your team what's weighing on them and how it's showing up in their day-to-day work lives. If no one speaks up, check in with trusted team members behind the scenes to get a fuller picture. Respond with care. When you don't have answers, explain what could influence the outcome. Share details only if they affect the team's reality; disclosing what's irrelevant or uncertain creates confusion. Stick to the facts. Avoid speculation. Use data and observable progress to ground your message. Reinforce how the team's work supports key business goals like revenue or efficiency. Model resilience. Show up with calm and clarity. In tough moments, consistency builds trust—and helps your team focus on what they can control. This tip is adapted from ' How to Communicate with Your Team When Business Is Bad,' by Rebecca Knight. . . . Deliver a Message That Sticks Whether you're giving a presentation, writing an email, or leading a meeting, it's important to communicate your message in a way that's memorable. By mastering a few strategies based in memory science, you can create messages that linger in the minds of your audience, leaving a lasting impact. Here's how. Chunk it up. Your audience can only handle three to four pieces of information at once. Organizing your key points under one central idea will help them retain details and connect the dots. Make it concrete. Abstract ideas are tough to remember. Use vivid, relatable examples that evoke sensory details to create a mental image your audience won't forget. Provide callbacks. Revisit earlier points to strengthen your audience's recall. Subtle reminders of previous content help reinforce memory and tie new information to existing knowledge. Spark curiosity. Don't just deliver answers—pose intriguing questions that highlight knowledge gaps. Curiosity fuels memory, making your message stick. This tip is adapted from ' How to Craft a Memorable Message, According to Science,' by Charan Ranganath. . . . Communicate Directly—Not Rudely Direct communication is an important work skill—especially for a manager. Being clear about what you want and need from people (and why) makes everything more efficient. But if you're too harsh, you can end up doing more harm than good. Here's how to toe the line between being direct and veering into rudeness. When delivering feedback, focus on facts. Remove your emotions from the conversation, and instead give the person honest, concrete evidence about their performance. Your goal is to help them grow, not to vent. When expressing an opinion, use 'I' statements. Avoid making accusations or casting blame, which will put your employee on the defensive. Instead of calling them out and pointing fingers, call them in by expressing your experience of their behavior. Turn a hard 'no' into a soft 'no.' As a direct person, your instinct may be to unambiguously reject an inessential work request that comes in when you just don't have the bandwidth to take it on. But if you're too blunt, you risk being perceived as someone who doesn't want to collaborate or help out. Instead, find the compassion to offer an alternative that works better for you and your schedule, or kindly explain why it's impossible for you to take on. When making a request, be considerate, not commanding. There's nothing wrong with giving clear, direct instructions and assignments. Just remember to be reasonable, express gratitude, and offer support if your employee needs it. This tip is adapted from ' How to Be Direct Without Being Rude,' by Yasmina Khelifi and Irina Cozma. . . . Communicating Difficult Decisions When You Can't Be Fully Transparent When you have to communicate a difficult organizational decision, it's hard to know how much information to provide, particularly when you can't be fully transparent yet. Saying nothing can undermine people's trust, and saying too much can leave people feeling overwhelmed. You can strike the balance by being candid—up to a point. Frame the situation's context clearly so people understand why the organization is considering big changes. Explain that you'll be as transparent as possible, use plain language (not corporate-speak), and respond to questions. People appreciate honesty, even if the message is incomplete or not what they want to hear. Be precise about what you can say now and when you'll say more, providing an overall timeline for the process. But avoid giving people running commentary as developments unfold; it can lead to unhelpful distractions and take up considerable management time. If possible, let employees in on the options you're considering, showing the logic behind your coming actions. This builds trust and helps mitigate the anxiety they may be feeling as they consider every combination of eventualities (including catastrophic ones). It also prevents them from feeling caught by surprise when you announce the final set of changes. This tip is adapted from ' Talking About a Difficult Decision—When You Can't Share All the Details,' by David Lancefield. . . . Sharpen Your Writing Skills Regardless of your job, rank, or industry, written communication is a skill that can set you apart from your peers. Here's a three-step framework to help you level up as a writer—whether you're writing an email, a formal document, a social post, or something else. First, determine the purpose of what you're writing. What result do you want to achieve? Are you looking to inform, persuade, or make a request? Let that purpose inform the substance and style of your communication from beginning to end. Then, identify exactly who your audience is and speak directly to them. This means using language that they understand and a voice that resonates with them. It also means anticipating and answering their questions—before they need to ask. Finally, what's your point? This is the essential substance of your writing. To locate the message you're aiming to deliver, ask yourself how you would explain it to your audience in 15 seconds or less. Then, get to the point early in your document, within the first 40 to 50 words. This tip is adapted from ' How to Take Your Business Writing From 'Average' to 'Great,'' by Elizabeth Danziger. . . . Great Leadership Is About Great Communication To be an effective leader, you need to become an exceptional communicator. Here are four strategies to help you motivate and inspire your team with your words. Use simple language to write about complex things. Long, complicated sentences make written ideas hard to understand because they demand more concentration. You'll win more supporters if you replace long words and sentences with shorter, more straightforward ones. Choose sticky metaphors. When you introduce a new or abstract idea, your audience will search for something they recognize to help them make sense of it. A metaphor is a powerful tool that compares or equates a new, abstract idea to a familiar image or concept. Humanize data. Slide decks with statistics and charts are helpful, but limited. The trick to making any data point interesting is to humanize it by placing the number in perspective. Any time you introduce numbers, take the extra step to make them engaging, memorable, and, ultimately, persuasive. Emphasize your mission. Shine a spotlight on your company's purpose across communication channels: meetings, memos, emails, presentations, social media, and marketing material. If your mission stands for something, then stand up for it.
Broadcast Pro
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Disguise to demo entertainment technology at Middle East trade shows
The technology platform and solutions provider will be attending a range of key industry events as it tours the Middle East region in May. Disguise, the technology platform and solutions provider behind visual spectacles at events like MDL Beast Soundstorm 2024, Dubai Expo's Al Wasl Dome and the iconic displays on the Burj Khalifa, is set to make a major presence across the Middle East's top trade shows this May. The company will spotlight emerging trends and innovations shaping the future of entertainment, offering immersive demonstrations and insights into the transformative potential of its technology. At these events, broadcasters, filmmakers and sports franchises will have the opportunity to meet the Disguise team and explore how extended reality (xR), virtual production and augmented reality (AR) can elevate their storytelling. Disguise's state-of-the-art solutions aim to empower creators across industries—from thrilling sports fans in modern stadiums to mesmerising cinema audiences and lighting up urban landmarks. Rebecca Knight, vice president of sales EMEA at Disguise, said: 'With mega projects like Neom and Qiddiya, and global events such as World Expo 2030 on the horizon, there's more demand for incredible visual spectacles in the Middle East than ever before. The only problem is that many still believe these visuals are too complicated to execute. By attending some of the region's top trade shows this May, we want to help demystify the process, so showgoers can see exactly how easy it is to create an immersive experience with Disguise's software, hardware and services solution.' Disguise will first appear at CABSAT 2025, running from May 13–15 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (Booth S1-H22), where its team will demonstrate cutting-edge solutions for virtual production and next-gen broadcast studios. Attendees of the co-located Integrate Middle East event can also explore Disguise's tools for crafting location-based experiences and see firsthand how immersive, data-driven visuals can heighten fan engagement across live events and sports. Next, Disguise will participate in the Stadiums and Sports Innovation Summit KSA 2025, taking place from May 19–20 at the Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya. As a proud sponsor of the summit, Disguise will showcase how its technology can transform sports venues—enhancing fan engagement and pushing innovation across the region's fast-developing sports sector. From May 20–22, Disguise will exhibit at the Saudi Entertainment and Amusement (SEA) Expo 2025 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre (Booth 4C441), where Sales Manager Josh Darlington will engage with key regional stakeholders as part of the UK Pavilion. The company will highlight its capabilities in themed entertainment and share success stories from major projects across the Middle East. Finally, Disguise will join production partner mediaPro at the Saudi Light & Sound (SLS) Expo, also taking place from May 20–22 at the same venue (Stand 2B231). After powering mediaPro's recent high-profile events such as the Dakar Rally Closing Ceremony, The Agenda Funtico launch, and the ADIB Cup 2025, Disguise will support live demos at the booth from 6 to 8 p.m. daily, offering a direct look at its platform's capabilities in action.
Harvard Business Review
02-05-2025
- Business
- Harvard Business Review
Having Difficult Conversations (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Build your ability to discuss tough topics at work. At times in our careers, we face conversations that bring out tense emotions. Our instinct may be to avoid them entirely, but engaging in challenging conversations can create opportunities to build stronger work relationships, teams, and organizations. This book will help you learn how to communicate productively under stress, offer and accept critical feedback, and ensure teams walk away from challenging conversations feeling united. This volume includes the work of: Amy Gallo Rebecca Knight Liane Davey Joseph Grenny HOW TO BE HUMAN AT WORK. The HBR Emotional Intelligence Series features smart, essential reading on the human side of professional life from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Each book in the series offers proven research showing how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work. Uplifting and practical, these books describe the social skills that are critical for ambitious professionals to master.
