The SIXCOMMS Podcast: Elevate Your Communication Skills

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Maria is a passionate coach, facilitator, writer and speaker dedicated to empowering people to do their best work by supporting them in focusing on their strengths and acquiring new skills.

Having spent over a decade in China and working with people and teams in several Asian countries as well as people working in Europe I asked Maria what she thought were the main challenges in communicating across these different cultures.

When first getting to know someone, one of the most common questions we ask is:

Where are you from? As someone who has lived in Asia, like Maria, for over a decade this can sometimes feel strange as we have been outside of our birth countries for such a long time.  For  others this can be quite complex and multi-layered.  We talk about the alternative and perhaps more relevant question: Where are you local?  Does this more accurately reflect a more intentional choice of where you live?

We talk about the need to develop self-awareness when trying to communicate with others from a diverse range of backgrounds.  Annette Dahl expresses this so well by saying: “cross-cultural understanding starts with self-understanding.”

Make sure you stay until the end as Maria shares a 3-step process you can take to develop your communication skills and ensure that collaboration thrives in your team beyond just cultural background.

Resources to explore:

Taiye Selasi: Don’t ask where I’m from, ask where I’m a local (TED Talk)

https://youtu.be/LYCKzpXEW6E

The culture Map - Erin Meyer https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Map-Breaking-Invisible-Boundaries/dp/1610392507

Connect with Maria:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mariapastorelli

WeChat ID: mpastorelli

www.bridgecoaching.online

www.mariapastorelli.com

Connect with Lisa:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisasing/

Email the host:

Lisa: [email protected]

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, episode 16, I’m joined by Kate Jackson. Kate is a multi award winning Leadership, Learning & Development consultant and is the founder of Andragogy.  She is an accomplished strategic communication and learning consultant offering Institute of Leadership & Management accredited courses.  Kate has over 15 years of experience working across a range of industries designing and delivering training to executives, teams and whole organisations to improve performance, communication and collaboration.

For this episode, Kate and I explore the ways we are communicating now with a particular focus on the way we influence.  Some questions we consider are:

1) What do we understand by communicating to influence?

2) In the last 2 years how has the way we communicate impacted on how we influence?

3) How can we create more coaching style conversations in order to influence, rather than just  telling others?

4) How can we ask better questions to create psychologically safe spaces?

5) How can we help others to commit to action?

6) What are the 3 things that someone can do to make them a more influential communicator?

Both Kate and I think that the first and most important element of influence is connection.  But as Kate points out: “People are like water.  They always take the easy route, so we’ve found that people default to email.”  This is understandable as our working lives have changed considerably over the last couple of years; remote, online and hybrid trying to connect with people in multiple locations - it’s not been easy! And telling, advising and delegating seems to be the quickest way in which to get others to do what we want.  But is this really influencing?

To influence is the ability to change someone’s behaviour or attitude, so shouldn’t we be considering what other communication channels are available to us to ensure more positive and deeper connections are made so that our capacity to influence improves?

We hope this episode will encourage you to step back and consider where you are on the communication continuum from the authoritarian telling someone what to do do through to advising, guiding and opening up conversations and asking questions.  As Tony Robbins says: “successful people ask better questions and as a result they get better answers.”

Check out this article:

https://hbr.org/2013/07/connect-then-lead

Connect with Us on LinkedIn:

Kate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-jackson-52260658/

Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisasing/

Email the host:

Lisa: [email protected]

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode I’m joined by Jess Flack. Jess is a commissioner for skills development at Essex County Council in the UK.  She spots gaps in skills and employment provision for Gen Z those aged 18 to 24 years and commissions projects to close these gaps.  Jess has been a graduate recruiter for KPMG and Cisco and a project manager for Hobsons where she interviewed graduates in China.  She has worked in Higher Education for 15 years teaching employability, work based learning and professional development.  She is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

For this episode, Jess and I talk about the challenges that Gen Z face when communicating with others in the workplace and how we can communicate more effectively across the generations.

We explore these questions:

1) What is a Gen Z?

2) In what ways are these labels helpful / not helpful?

3) Is communicating across the generations about finding common ground or something else?

4) What role does community play in connecting and communicating across generations?

5) What can older generations do to contribute to better communication at the workplace now?

6) What 3 top communication tips would you give to a Gen Z wanting to connect more with their teams / managers at work?

Both Jess and I had early work experience in customer-facing roles and these early professional experiences gave us a variety of workplace skills such as being able to effectively communicate with customers, colleagues, managers and supervisors and being able to handle a range of front-line service situations raising our ability to think on our feet and building our resilience and confidence.  To this day, I refer to experiences I had as a young adult.  However, the 18-24 year olds today have not had these kind of opportunities.  We have been busy dealing with the pandemic which has forced us online and into our homes; often disconnected from others. It’s not surprising then that talking with people face-to-face leaves these younger professionals filled with anxiety and dread.

There are things that we can all do across the generations to open up connecting conversations and alleviate some of this anxiety.  Isn’t it incumbent on all of us to help each other navigate this ever-changing world of work and find common ground across all generations so that we can learn from one another and work more effectively?

We hope this episode will give you some ideas and inspiration on initiatives you can take both inside and outside your organizations as both young professionals, managers and leaders.

Jess recommends:

A great resource for information on Gen Z is Dr Corey Seemiller -https://www.coreyseemiller.com/ she is all-round excellence embodied. Her research has been a game-changer for me and Essex County Council, it’s enabled me to support our work in connecting with our 18-24s in terms of a communication plan now and in future.

Connect with Us:

Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessflack/

TikTok: @jess_flack

Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisasing/

Email the host:

Lisa: [email protected]

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, I’m joined by Kim Page. Kim is a Communication Trainer, TEDx Speaker and Vocal Coach who helps professionals increase their impact and influence. Her method, the Right Kind of Loud, is all about expanding your comfort zone from the inside and out. You learn how to adjust to the person you are trying to reach, fine-tuning your message to the specific situation at hand.

With the Right Kind of Loud you make your mark, connecting with people in the room and on the screen. Kim’s gift is to make you glow, leaving your audience hungry for more.

For this episode, we focus our attention on one of the Six Cs of Communication, which is Curiosity, specifically in relation to growing your network.

We explore these questions:

1. What does it mean to listen with curiosity and what do we gain from it?

2. How can listening with curiosity help us expand our network and build connection with others?

3. What practical tips can we share to build our curious listening capacity online?

In our conversation we fully acknowledge the difficulty in listening curiously.  It is a fundamental skill in building positive relationships and takes so much more energy and bandwidth than speaking.  There are a lot of factors at play that prevent us from communicating with curiosity, such as when we are in pain, when we feel afraid that we will be judged, when we are tired, distracted, recovering and healing.

The fact is that everybody is struggling to listen!  As Kim so eloquently expresses: “we cannot really listen when our inner noise is loud.”

However, when we can quieten that inner noise, lean in, really listen with open curiosity and warmth some magical and meaningful conversations can happen and deep connections with others can be made.

Kim recommends you check out her resources:

- registration for monthly Masterclass - real-time communication coaching and dialogue; a great way to network with depth

https://rightkindofloud.com/masterclass/

- free first chapter from my first book -

https://rightkindofloud.com/buy-the-book/

TEDx talk about the Right Kind of Loud and the Human Touch -

https://rightkindofloud.com

Connect with Us on LinkedIn!

Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-a-page/

Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisasing/

Email us!

Kim: [email protected]

Lisa: [email protected]

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode I’m joined by Hari Haralambiev who is the co-founder of Tochka 2 and is developing a platform called SoftSkillsPills.com focused on soft skills for IT people.

One of those soft skills, a fundamental part of being an effective communicator, is giving feedback.  Even the word feedback seems to strike fear in many a professional and “feedforward” has become an alternative term to use for this often-challenging professional skill.

However, is it really the word that’s the issue or how we deliver and communicate feedback to others?

Feedback is a gift, but be careful of the wrapping!  This seems to sum up our conversation well.

The content of the feedback can be very helpful to develop professionally, but how that feedback is delivered “the wrapping” is crucial in whether the content is accepted or rejected.

In this episode, we discuss the principles of giving feedback that should make the experience a positive one for both the feedback giver and receiver.

There are so many approaches, models and frameworks that you can follow and it’s difficult to know which one to use.  We argue that one size does not fit all. However, there are a few we prefer and we will share these in the last part of this episode.

Hari’s recommended resources:

Practice giving feedback here: https://softskillspills.com/giving-feedback/

The Daily Vitamins section of our platform contains a lot of useful and practical soft skills resources: https://softskillspills.com/all-daily-vitamins/

Book recommendation:

"Nonviolent communication" - https://softskillspills.com/nonviolent-communication/

Connect with Us!

Hari: LinkedIn

Websites:

https://tochka2.com/

https://softskillspills.com/

Lisa: LinkedIn

Website: https://www.sixcomms.org/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode I’m joined by David Pullan of The Story Spotters to chat about a form of communication that sends all of us into a state of anxiety and fear.  Yes, that’s right – PRESENTATIONS!

For a lot of us, like me, that word conjures up very unpleasant memories of my school days. You cringe as the teacher calls you up to stand in front of the class.  Your peers are all staring at you and all you want is for the floor to swallow you up and for this nightmare to end!

This word presentation doesn’t just strike fear in us as students, but also as accomplished and highly experienced professionals.  David and I have worked with many such professionals so in this episode we wanted to break down why this word can have such a negative impact on us as communicators and discuss:

• How we can reframe our approach and thinking towards our audience
• How amplifying our communication superpowers can help us connect authentically with our audience
• How we can make presenting numbers more engaging and compelling

Please, stay until the end because you won’t want to miss David’s top tip for showing up and having real presence on screen; a technique he terms “discovering your inner UFO” and it’s not what you’re thinking!

Connect with David: LinkedIn

Twitter: @thestoryspotter

Website: www.thestoryspotters.com

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

Website: https://www.sixcomms.org/

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

This is the first episode of season 2 and I’m joined by the lovely Susanne Heiss. You might want to reflect on the past year or last 6 months or the last 3 months of a project you've been working on.  This episode is jam-packed with some fresh ideas and inspiration on reflection activities (otherwise known as Retrospectives) that you can include in your next team meeting or learning event.

How do we learn? Well, one fundamental aspect of learning is taking the time to pause and reflect with your colleagues and this is where “Retrospectives” are highly beneficial.

Susanne and I discuss:

· What retrospectives are and why they should be part of any meeting, workshop, or project big or small

· What the fundamental principles of setting up retrospectives are so that everyone can share openly and honestly AND

· What our favorite retrospectives are, we guarantee they are simple, don’t have to take much time and are packed full of opportunities to learn, grow and celebrate with your colleagues

And, don’t miss the end when I will be sharing my own creation – The Compass Retrospective!

Would you like to explore more Retrospectives?

Yes, then please click here for Susanne’s top Resource

Connect with Susanne on LinkedIn

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

Website: https://www.sixcomms.org/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

This is the last episode of Season 1 of The SIXCOMMS Podcast.  In this episode I share the 7 lightbulb moments of the previous nine episodes.

What do I mean by a lightbulb moment?

Well for me, it’s a realization or what Oprah calls an “Aha Moment” or a key learning or revelation.  There were so many, but I have managed to distil them into seven key ones (one for each day of the week!)

Lightbulb #1: Connection & Care to Create Inclusive Safe Spaces

Lightbulb #2: Curiosity and Connection are Companions

Lightbulb #3: Curiosity is a Muscle Not to be Neglected!

Lightbulb #4: Pause to Regain Focus & Become Present

Lightbulb #5: A Deep Listener is an Effective Communicator

Lightbulb #6: Beware, Body Language is Louder Online!

Lightbulb #7: Zoom Fatigue, yes! Email Fatigue, yes!

Stay tuned to the end when I will share the brightest lightbulb moment for me personally while doing this Podcast.  Season 2 is coming soon!  Thank you so much for listening.

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, I’m joined by Prakash Mathur who is an EQ coach, training consultant and CEO of Transformative Training in Singapore.  We share a passion for learning and professional development.  We recognize the need for all professionals to develop their Emotional Intelligence in order to be more effective communicators in the workplace.

The questions we answer in this episode are:

· What is EQ?

· Why is it so important now?

· How can it be used to enhance our communication skills?

· What steps can we take to develop our Emotional Intelligence?

We recommend checking out the work of Daniel Goleman and exploring 6Seconds https://www.6seconds.org/

Connect with us:

Prakash’s LinkedIn

Lisa’s LinkedIn

Website: https://www.sixcomms.org/

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode I’m joined by my friend Emma Konopka who is a co-active coach. We are both self-confessed learning magpies! This means we are curious about everything to do with learning and development. In our professions as coaches and facilitators we need to be able to hold spaces for meaningful conversations to take place. We need to be able to build connection and rapport quickly so that people can open up and explore ideas together. In Emma’s words we need “space to be human!”

Creating such safe spaces are essential, especially now as people are working remotely and perhaps feeling less present and connected with one another. Emma suggests that we need to “dance in the moment more” and become fully present for each other.

Emma and I explore:

1. What curious conversations are and what they involve

2. What “dancing in the moment” is

3. The benefits of holding “agendaless” meetings

4. Connecting to people in different countries and time zones

5. Techniques to help us be more present and show up fully to a virtual meeting

6. What “thinking beyond our brains” means!

7. Getting clear on why we are meeting and having a loose structure to the meeting

8. Spacious listening – the importance of silence & allowing others to expand on their answers

Resources to explore if you’re still curious!

Dance in this Moment

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10hFU07YVDqXPipiBcZ5BoszbCJJo1z7s/edit

Learning the Power of Silence

https://coactive.com/blog/learning-the-power-of-silence/

Thinking beyond your brain:

Interoception: the hidden sense that shapes wellbeing

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/15/the-hidden-sense-shaping-your-wellbeing-interoception

Connect with us:

Emma’s LinkedIn

Website: https://www.expansively.org/

Lisa’s LinkedIn

Website: https://www.sixcomms.org/

Support the show

Download our 6Cs Guide to a Thriving Communicator and you will receive our monthly newsletter!