Thinking about long-term success? Hone your communication skills.
By Kristina Knobelsdorff, PhDStudent Mastery, Writing TrainingMore important than “brainpower” to academic and career success? Being able to communicate what’s in your brain.
This was Warren Buffett’s message to a young entrepreneur in 2018.
The best investment students can make in themselves, says Buffett in a video posted to LinkedIn, is learning how to speak and write effectively (posted by Michael Hood, cofounder @Voiceflow.com).
“If you can’t communicate, it’s like winking at a girl in the dark–nothing happens. You can have all the brainpower in the world, but you have to be able to transmit it. And the transmission is communication.”
Sentences are like thought “vehicles,” I tell my students in CT and NY. The clearer they are, the better they carry the thoughts from one mind to another.
These so-called soft skills of speaking and writing prepare students for long-term success. And, communication is key to success in the working world. As Buffett says when Hood asks him to give advice to college graduates, “one easy way to become worth 50% more than you are now at least is to hone your communication skills.”
We can help your middle or high school student build solid communication skills now. To find out more, contact us today.
Kristina joined The Learning Consultants in 2007, shortly after completing her PhD in English at the University of Connecticut. With a decade of coaching teachers and students behind her, Kristina now heads the Department of Writing Mastery. She derives great satisfaction helping students of all ages become skilled and confident writers. full bio
