Communication Psychology - with Gerhard Ohrband

We all know what second thoughts feel like. After an important conversation, we start replaying it in our heads. We think about what we could have said better. We regret words that slipped out. We wish we could go back and try again. Second thoughts are usually a sign of insufficient preparation. I don’t mean that you should have memorized a script beforehand—that would never work in the dynamic reality of real-life conversations. The real preparation is different: Which members of my Inner Team should I bring into this situation? Outer Teams First Before we look at the concept of the Inner Team, let’s consider real teams in the outside world. Imagine the following situations. Wouldn’t you prefer to have an additional team member at your side? ·         A bodyguard, when walking through a dangerous neighborhood ·         An interpreter, when traveling in a foreign country ·      ...

The title may sound a little misleading. What follows might be surprising—even unsettling—for some. There are different levels of self-awareness. Many people avoid looking inside altogether. How do I feel? What do I think? Such questions rarely enter their mind. They keep themselves busy, surround themselves with noise, and distract themselves—anything to escape introspection. The next level of awareness is realizing that there is something inside. At this stage, we begin to notice an “inner dialogue.” We believe there is one solid and constant psychic entity called I . Through meditation and self-reflection, we try to connect with this “I” and discover what it really wants. But if you continue this practice, something unexpected happens: you begin to notice that there isn’t just one voice inside. There is a whole plurality . Different parts of you speak up, each with its own role and its own messages. One of the easiest to recognize is the so-called Inner Critic (or Censo...

Have you ever woken up feeling the urgent need to work on your communication skills? Probably not. But have you ever felt the need to improve a significant relationship—whether at home or at work? Chances are, that need pops up at least once a month. Interestingly, these two needs—better communication and better relationships—are deeply linked. The quality of our relationships mirrors the quality of our communication, and vice versa. When we think of honing communication skills, most of us immediately picture public speaking training. And yes, public speaking is notoriously feared. But paradoxically, it's often easier than the unscripted interactions we navigate daily. Here's why: ·         Public speaking offers predictability. ·         You can rehearse what you’ll say. ·         The roles are clearly defined: for that time slot, the stage is yours. ·    ...

Most of us know at least one difficult person at work. The typical team reaction is: we need to fix that person—and if that’s impossible, we need to get rid of them. However, just as in families with “difficult children,” the so-called difficult person is often not the root problem but rather the symptom of something deeper. They may be the “weakest link” in the system and therefore the one most likely to manifest behavioral or psychological struggles. Family systems therapy offers a valuable perspective here. Developed by Murray Bowen, it views the family as an emotional unit, emphasizing the interconnectedness of its members. According to this approach, individual behaviors often reflect broader relational patterns within the system. By understanding those patterns, one can address the root causes of difficulties instead of focusing only on the “problematic” individual. Work teams are no different. Yes, there may be one colleague manifesting the symptoms, but the question worth...

In today’s personal development world, leaving our comfort zone has become a dogma. There are countless quotes such as “life begins out of your comfort zone.” It is clear that you need to venture into new territories if you want to learn something. However, are there limits to how much discomfort we actually need to experience? And what about the idea of having multiple comfort zones? My personal observation is that even highly entrepreneurial people, who in their professional activity are constantly stepping out of their comfort zones, often prefer to remain within a comfort zone in other areas of their life—for example, when learning a foreign language. This suggests that we need to maintain some areas of life where we stay within a comfort zone, in order to have the energy and stability to sustain discomfort in others. Research supports this. Studies on stress and performance (e.g., Yerkes & Dodson, 1908; Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) show that learning and growth do not occu...

 We often hear that conflict is inherently negative—but is that always true? Should we avoid conflicts at all costs, or can they be catalysts for innovation, clarity, and growth? In a TED Talk, Margaret Heffernan argues that conflict—particularly when paired with rigorous debate—sharpens thinking and leads to better outcomes. She recounts how epidemiologist Alice Stewart discovered a link between prenatal X-rays and childhood cancer, and was strengthened in her conviction by collaborator George Kneale, who relentlessly tried to disprove her findings—and couldn’t. Types of Workplace Conflict Research categorizes conflicts into three main types: 1.      Personal Conflict This involves interpersonal issues—clashes of personality, style, or emotional friction. It's often linked to hostility, dissatisfaction, and lower group cohesion 2.      Task Conflict This arises from disagreements over the content of tasks—opinions, ideas, goals, ...