Returning to the essentials

Communication basics we all can use

This past week, I faced one of my toughest audiences. No, it wasn’t my presentation to the senior scientists at Stanford, or to the college leaders gathered at Penn. It wasn’t even working with the brilliant start-up founders at One Mind.

It was my daughter’s fifth-grade class.

Since I am not used to teaching such young (and energetic) learners, I adapted what I often teach adults about the importance of using our mind, breath, and body to convey information to others. The two-day experience served to remind me that the basics of effective oral communication are the same, whether you are ten, or seven times that age.

Below, I have shared with you my summary of the five lessons I taught the fifth graders in less than five minutes. Please give it a view. See if you can begin to incorporate any of these techniques in the meetings that you lead, the classes that you teach, or the talks that you deliver.

And while I enjoy the many items of corporate tchotchkes I get from many of my client engagements, the unexpected avalanche of hand drawn thank you cards was an unexpected perk of my return to fifth grade, and going back to the basics.

These cards from my daughter’s classmates were an unexpected gift.

My invitation for you this week is to set your own Wayback Machine. Go back in time. What was it like when you first began to consider what it takes to speak in public? Go back to the basics with these five simple, yet challenging, lessons for fifth graders.

On Saturday, January 31 at 5pm PT, Ken will be marking the launch of Unapologetic Manifestation with a live gathering designed to be more than a celebration of a book. It’s a chance to come together and explore the ideas at the heart of his work in real time and in community. The event is both in person at Unity SF and online. If you’ve been meaning to join or are feeling curious, this weekend is the moment. We’d love to have you register here.

Talk of the Week

My friend Debbie recently reminded of Tim Urban’s terrific TED Talk, Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator. My team may appreciate the irony here, since I’m not always the most proactive when it comes to writing each edition of Communication Matters. With humor and surprising insight, Urban walks us through the very human habit of waiting until the last possible moment.

JD’s Recommendations: What I’m Reading, Hearing, and Viewing

• Reading: 12 Communication Habits to Ditch in 2026 by Angela Haupt: a practical look at behaviors that quietly chip away at connection.

• Hearing: A thoughtful conversation with Ken and our good friend Kristine Michie at the Playfull Podcast, exploring play, faith, and unapologetic manifestation… with a small personal bias I’ll happily own.

• Viewing: A delightful video asking parents and their children which famous person, living or dead, they’d most want to have dinner with… reminding us whose answers tend to be the most grounded. Watch until the end.

All the best,

-jds