HBR's 10 Must Reads on Communication

by Harvard Business Publishing, Jay A. Conger

The best leaders know how to communicate clearly and persuasively. How do you stack up? If you read nothing else on communicating effectively, read these 10 articles. We’ve combed through hundreds of articles in the Harvard Business Review archive and selected the most important ones to help you express your ideas with clarity and impact―no matter what the situation. Leading experts such as Deborah Tannen, Jay Conger, and Nick Morgan provide the insights and advice you need

Genres: Business, Communication, Nonfiction, Leadership, Psychology, Management, Personal Development

190 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2013

About the author

Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) is a publisher founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit, independent corporation and an affiliate of Harvard Business School (distinct from Harvard University Press), with a focus on improving business management practices. The company offers articles, books, case studies, simulations, videos, learning programs, and digital tools to organizations and subscribers.
HBP consists of three market units: Education, Corporate Learning, and Harvard Business Review Group. Their offering consists of print and digital media (Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review Press books, Harvard Business School cases), events, digital learning (Harvard ManageMentor, HMM Spark), blended learning, and campus experiences.

Reviews

[Mahsa]

كتاب را نشر هنوز با عنوان: "درباره ارتباطات: ده مقاله كه بايد خواند" منتشر كرده.

من خودم معمولا نسبت به اينجور كتابها كه به آدم ميگويند چطور روابطت را با ديگران بهتر كنى بدبينم؛ ولى اين يكى را دربست توصيه ميكنم. مقاله ها نصيحت نميكنند، بلكه واقعا به فرضيه هاى علوم شناختى و روانشناسى استناد ميكنند. همه شان يا نتيجه مشاهدات ميدانى گسترده هستند يا توسط افرادى با تجربه و دانش بالا در زمينه كارى خودشان نوشته شده اند.


در اصل، هدف كتاب كمك به كسانى است كه ميخواهند مدير شركتى باشند يا با مدير و همكارانشان كنار بيايند؛ ولى خيلى از مسائل مطرح شده به همه روابط انسانى قابل تعميم هستند. همچنين، پشتوانه شناختى و روانشناسى تعدادى از مقاله ها برايم به شدت جالب توجه بود.
براى مثال، مقاله اى كه توصيه ميكنم حتما بخوانيد، قدرت كلام، به اين مساله اشاره ميكرد كه در جوامع ما، معمولا بچه ها در گروههاى همجنس خودشان اجتماعى ميشوند، و به دليل وجود كليشه ها، شيوه اجتماعى شدن پسرها و دخترها متفاوت است. در نتيجه معمولا "دخترها آئينهاى گفتگو را به شيوه اى ياد ميگيرند كه بر بعد نزديك سازى رابطه و تفاهم تاكيد دارد و اين در حالى است كه پسرها آئينهايى را مي آموزند كه بر بعد جايگاه و مقام تاكيد دارد." كه ميتواند توضيح دهنده بسيارى از تفاوتهاى به ظاهر باطنى در رفتارهاى دو جنس باشد.
مقاله اى ديگر، استرس را از گفتگوهاى پر استرس بيرون كنيد، به اين نكته اشاره ميكرد كه همه ما ممكن است در مقابل نوع خاصى از رفتار آسيب پذير باشيم. براى مثال در مقابل تهمت شنيدن يا رفتار تهاجمى. و توصيه هايى داشت كه چگونه با شناختن واكنش خودمان و آماده بودن، هنگام مواجهه با اين نوع رفتارها واكنش بهترى داشته باشيم.

اينها تنها دو نمونه از مقاله هاى جالب توجه كتاب بودند. در مجموع به نظرم كتابى است كه ارزش خواندن را دارد و به خوبى ميتواند فكر آدم را مشغول كند.

[Daniil Bratchenko]

This is a collection of relatively long articles. Some of them are good, some are not. I guess it depends on what you already know and do not know, your environment.

A couple of articles that I really liked made the whole book worth it.

Conveniently, each article has a short summary. I recommend skimming through the summaries. When a summary interests you, read the whole article.

[Alexander Belotserkovskiy]

That is the awesome book. Not just latest articles about communication but some old still good ones. I highly recommend that book to anyone who is interested in how to communicate properly.

[Nihit Parikh]

This book is so good that I think every millennial should read it. The sooner you read it, the better.

[Alaa Bahabri]

الكتاب عبارة عن أهم المقالات التي نشرت في مجلة هارفرد بزنس ريفو خلال الأعوام الماضية،،
الكتاب ممتع جداً ، و يثير التفكير حول ما هي اسس المقال الناجح الذي لا يموت ، حيث إن أعمار بعض المقالات تجاوزت ال20 سنة!
و أرى أن أهمها هو :
-أنها مبنية على دراسات تعد حجر أساس في مجالها
-أن بها خطوات عملية
-أنها مدعمة بحالات و قصص
-الأسلوب الممتع جداً
..
عموماً : المقالات تتنوع أنواع من التواصل الإداري، و التفاوض، وأسس الإقناع، وكيفية استخدام القصص

[Sean OConnor]

Leaders tell stories. They know how to communicate and share their vision for where their organization is headed. They use stories to build a culture. Leaders persuade their colleagues (and bosses) to change and ship new projects. The know how to give (and receive) actionable feedback. These essays by HBR are thought provoking and made me question how I communicate.

[Alexander Krastev]

"10 задължителни четива" определено се нарежда на водещо място сред бизнес поредиците, които следя. И тук 10-те избрани статии за комуникация на мениджърите - вътре и извън компанията - покриват максимално широк кръг от предизвикателства и дават директни и точни съвети за справянето с тях.

[BookCupid]

Communication is not an easy topic due to how vast it is. We got: body language, mindful listening, persuasion skills, conflict resolutions, writing skills (half needed now that we have AI), presentation skills, cultural and generational differences... the list is long. This aspect makes the book topics varied compared to other Harvard Business Must Reads. It also makes it hard to really get a grip of communication through different perspectives. Some articles were had really great tips, the last one lost me, with the boss constantly apologizing to an employee during a conflict. Women tend to apologize, often meaning ''I'm sorry it happened'' but others usually see it as ''I'm sorry for what I did'' making it harder to be perceived as confident. This can lead leaders to never apologize even when they make blatant mistakes.

[Shikhar Sheel]

Doesn’t really bring anything great to the table.

[Filipa]

HBR's Must Reads on Communication was a great read. I'm happy that HBR has decided to publish this collection of articles in a book. They have more books on this collection and each book focuses on a different theme. I wanted to start with 10 Must Reads on Communication since it's an important and relevant area for me - not only have I studied Communication in college, it's one of the themes I'm most fascinated about.
This book rounded up some of the most influential articles on communication, including Conger's article The Necessary Art of Persuasion, which I had already studied at college. The articles mostly focus on business-related communication, as expected, but it is not difficult to transpose the findings of the articles to other areas of life.
The author's findings are still relevant, even though some of the articles have been published 10 years ago.
If you are interested in some of these areas of knowledge (you can check the complete list on this collection here), I'd recommend reading this HBR collection. It's difficult to stay on top of everything that is written, said and published about a theme that interests you but this book helps you get in touch with some of the best known articles of that area while giving you the opportunity to read different theories on the same subject: everything in the same book.

[Carolyn]

I underlined multiple sections in this book. That's how much I found value in the essays and studies that were presented.

Harvard Business Review (HBR) is a series of collected essays, and this particular book centered on the topic of communication. Some communication styles you might understand: analytical vs creative vs leadership. Some people are followers, some leaders, some analysts. But how can you use your communication to persuade people, not maliciously, but to perhaps steer clear from an argument? Sure, you tell stories daily, but did you know even stories can be categorized to make an impact. Being able to identify five messages leaders must have (so you can either correct this in yourself, or realize it in a bad/good leader).

It's powerful to be able to detect differences in communication. Even silence communicates volumes. I'd be surprised if you didn't walk away from this book without something you could change or enhance in how you give or receive communication.

[Jen]

Worth it!

[Lukasz]

Rzutem na taśmę postanowiłem sięgnąć po niniejszą pozycję. Świetna pozycja, chociaż jak na kompendia Harvard Business Review trochę dłuższa. Przesłuchałem ją w formie audiobooka który w sumie trwa 7 godzin.

Książka zawiera dziesięć artykułow publikowanych wcześniej na łamach czasopisma Harvard Business Review których głównym tematem jest komunikacja.

Pierwszy artykuł dotyczy sztuku prezentacji, szczególnie w kontekście podejmowania decyzji. Autor artykułu daje rady jak przygotowywać prezentacje tak aby skutecznie przekonać jej odbiorców. Jak się okazuje to bardzo skomplikowany proces. Odbiorców prezentacji można podzielić na kilka typów. W zależności od tego jakim typ reprezentuje osoba która jest odbiorcę prezentacji powinniśmy odpowiednio dopasowywać nasze argumenty oraz styl prezentacji. Odbiorców można podzielić na następujące kategorie: myśliciele, ludzie charyzmatyczni, kontrolerzy, sceptycy oraz naśladowcy. Po przedstawieniu tego modelu komunikacji od razu byłem w stanie dopasować ludzi w moim otoczeniu do odpowiedniego typu. Ten artykuł uświadomił mniej jak ważne jest dopasowywanie komunikacji do stylu odbiorcy. To trudna sztuka i chyba jeszcze sporo muszę się uczyć aby ją dobrze opanować.

Mógłbym się sporo rozwodzić o kolejnych artykułach, w skrócie wymienię o czym są dalsze artykuły zawarte w tym kompendium:

Sztuka Perswazji
Jak Milczenie zabija Twoją firmę
Jak zostać autentycznym mówcą
Opowiadanie historyjek
Jak zaprezentować świetny pomysł w postaci "pitchu"
Pięc rzeczy które powinni zmienić przywódcy
Usunięcie stresu z trudnej rozmowy.

Szczególnie ostatni artykuł o przeprowadzaniu trudnych rozmowach bardzo przypadł mi do gustu. Opowiada on o tym jak rzygytowywać się i jak przeprowadzać trudne rozmowy, które zazwyczaj kosztują nas sporo stresu. Okazuje się, że są metody pomagające zredukować stres który może towarzyszyć w trudnej rozmowie.

Mocno polecam książkę. Na pewno będę dalej sięgał po książki z tej serii.

[Heini]

Kolme mielenkiintoisinta asiaa, jotka opin kirjasta HBR's 10 Must Reads: On Communication

Vahvimmat vaikuttajat käyttävät kieltä monipuolisesti
"The most effective persuaders use language in a particular way. They supplement numerical data with examples, stories, metaphors, and analogies."

Aito, vetoava puhe syntyy hyvin pohditussa harjoitteluprosesissa, ei perinteisesti harjoittelemalla
"So if neither casual spontaneity nor traditional rehearsal leads to compelling communication how can you prepare for an important presentation? You have to tap into the basic impulses underlying your speech. These should include four powerful aims: to be open, to connect, to be passionate, and to listen."
"...Try practicing it four ways, adopting the mind-set of each aim in turn, feeling it more than thinking about it. Forget about rehearsing specific gestures, your body language will take care of itself."

Pitchatessa pyydä yleisöä, "ideasi potentiaalisia ostajia", osallistumaan
"Oscar-winning writer, director, and producer Oliver Stone told me that the invitation to collaborate on an idea is a seduction. His advice to screenwriters pitching an idea to producer is to pull back and project what he needs onto your in idea in order to make the story whole for him."

[Boris Kisov]

"On Communication" by HBS is the book you wish you’d read before that meeting where everyone left more confused than when they walked in. It’s not about fancy words or power poses—it’s about actually getting your point across, whether you’re talking to your team, your boss, or that one client who never seems to listen.
The book breaks it down simple: know your audience, cut the jargon, and stop assuming people get what you’re saying just because you do. It’s full of real examples—good and bad—so you see exactly what works (and what makes people’s eyes glaze over).
No fluff, no theory for theory’s sake. Just the raw tools to say what you mean, mean what you say, and make sure the other person actually hears it. The kind of book you’ll keep on your desk because, let’s be honest, we all need the reminder.

[Jessie Barton]

It's time for an updated version. As a communications professional, I was very looking forward to diving into this and identifying stories I could share with my less comms-savy colleagues. Instead though, I was met with stories that felt cliche, outdated, and actually unhelpful. Perhaps that means that the ideas within this book have become so prominent in the last 25 years, that they feel more like second nature today (to which I'll give this the benefit of the doubt). But if you're looking to brush up on your communication skills in the workplace and you're no longer living in the 1990s, I suggest you seek solace elsewhere.

[Adnan M Siddiqui]

Disappointing Read – More Fluff Than Communication Insight

I picked up this book hoping to improve my communication skills with clear techniques, practical tips, and actionable insights. Unfortunately, it was a letdown. The book is overloaded with personal stories, drawn-out anecdotes, and filler content that often felt unrelated or unnecessary. The actual content on communication—if any—was shallow and scattered. If you’re looking for something concise and skill-focused, this isn’t it. I feel like I wasted my time and would not recommend it for anyone serious about improving their communication abilities.

[Anthony]

Well. It reads like a really long magazine article. Nothing super great. Almost dull. I probably would have read each of the articles by themselves in a magazine, but all of them together was brutal! I may have even enjoyed each article by itself in a magazine, but all together was a bit much. Good info, poorly distributed, without a clear cohesion because it was from different authors in different time periods, and different professions.

[Wasim Zaman]

The articles confirm your inner biases when you speak with another person in a workplace. They are mostly personal views of experienced workplace veterans, consultans and writers who understand various human behavior to trigger responses through communication. A read for a beginner in learning how to communicate better.

[Kristin]

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars

I had to read this over the course of my current Managerial Communications class, and I really enjoyed reading something that wasn't a textbook.

I mostly enjoyed the articles I read, although some of the ideas didn't seem to translate well into modern times. Anyone who is a manager or hopes to become one can benefit from reading this.

[Heather]

It is a good book for someone looking for an academic read to provide a solid base of understanding communication in business/working world.

Decent collection of good essays about various forms of communication within the context of business. The essays are aimed more towards people that are starting within the business or working world. The combination of the essays provides a solid base.

[Muhannad Sarhan]

HBR must reads are always great to read. Its beauty lies within the short articles discussing various aspects of a concept. On Communication was better than Managing Self in my opinion. There is one or two articles probably that weren’t up to the expectaton, and this will always be the case.

[Timmytoothless]

Some interesting and useful concepts in this book about communication in business management. However, there is a fair amount of punching down in the book; some of the essays are written from world view that could be best described as overconfident and a few are downright odious.

[John Jervy Ramos]

It's both sad and interesting how the workplace and businesses work in terms of communicating. There are no clear rules and you mostly learn stories shared in this book through personal experience. I wonder how will this affect the current trend and adaptation the workplace is phasing through (2021). The book was very informative and helpful. Surely, I'll recommend this to anyone starting his/her career.

[Allen]

Every few years I revisit this so that I don’t get stuck in limited ways of communicating. Everyone can benefit by listening to this and taking notes even if you’ve been an entrepreneur for decades.

[Adinda Zakiah]

My suggestion is juat read the idea in Brief and Idea in Practice. Some articles are pretty insightful in idea and practice but not worth the price since the delivery is boring which is contradict with the title.

[Julie Wang]

another great book by HBS

Great, pithy essays with a lot of helpful nuggets. Love HBR’s must reads. Highly recommend to those who would like to enhance their communication skills.

[Kelly]

Too many case studies, not much elaborations and deep insights.

[Rebecca]

read this for grad school, still counting it towards my total lol

[David Lillico]

Some good guidance on how to think about communicating rather than just doing, some tips already used in work and went welk