Even when you think you’re being alert, you can become blinded to the obvious.

That’s what happened to me. I had inadvertently compartmentalized two aspects of my professional life. As a result, I didn’t see the bridge between them until a couple of months ago.

Luckily, my colleague Sam Yankelevitch pointed it out to me, for which I’ve very grateful. Now I’m happy to report that Sam, Jim Thompson and I are writing a book together about cultivating deliberate communication habits at work geared toward action.

Communication habits can be automatic, a la scripted habits. Or they can be improv habits, which we adjust to fit the situation and the individuals we’re working with.

Good improv habits, just like good improv theater, benefit from the players preparing and then being fully present in the moment. To perform well, you’ve got to remember you’re working with humans who aren’t always predictable. You need to pay attention to your surroundings, listen deeply, support your teammates, and react using both your instincts and your training.

This Forbes article, How to overcome being blinded by the obvious, published on Nov. 23, 2020, describes how I came to see the value of communication habits. The goal with the book is to help you and others improve your performance, enhance your working relationships, and better navigate the VUCA world.

You’re invited to join us on our journey at the communication habit and our LinkedIn Group, The Communication Habit.