Communication Psychology - with Gerhard Ohrband

I know that for some of you this might sound a bit strange—perhaps even controversial. Personally, I try to consume news media from the opposite side of the current political administration. For example, during the presidency of Joe Biden, I regularly followed Fox News and the New York Post . Now, with Donald Trump in office, I check CNN and The New York Times . The idea is simple: if you regularly expose yourself to perspectives you don’t typically share, it doesn’t mean you have to adopt those views. But it does make it easier to understand—and sometimes empathize with—people who hold different opinions. What does this have to do with the workplace? Quite a lot. Many of our colleagues and clients come from different political, cultural, or religious backgrounds. But the same principle also applies professionally. If you work in one field, you might deliberately read publications intended for professionals in a different area—for example, from another department in your comp...

 When we communicate, much of what we hear goes beyond words and facts. The way someone speaks, the nuances in their tone, and the subtleties of what they leave unsaid all convey personal information. This is the self-revelation dimension of communication—listening not just to what is said, but to who is speaking. Activating the self-revelation ear involves attending to the personal information implicitly conveyed in a message. It prompts questions such as: ·         What background or experiences shape this person’s perspective? ·         What emotions are present? ·         What is implied but not explicitly stated? At this level, the focus shifts from factual content or argumentative structure to the speaker as a person. Two fundamental listening modes can be distinguished: diagnostic and empathetic . In diagnostic listening , the guiding question is: "What is...

In everyday communication, one pattern appears again and again: people want something—but they don’t say it directly. Instead of clearly expressing a request, they hint. They imply. They leave space for interpretation. And then they feel misunderstood when the other person does not respond as hoped. Why does this happen so often? The Hidden Logic Behind Indirect Appeals Two primary forces tend to drive this behavior: ·         Fear of rejection ·         Uncertainty about one’s own desires At first glance, avoiding a direct request may seem like poor communication. But psychologically, it often makes perfect sense. A particularly relevant concept here is rejection sensitivity , introduced by Geraldine Downey and her colleagues. Rejection sensitivity refers to a dispositional tendency to anxiously anticipate, readily perceive, and intensely react to possible rejection. People high in rejection sensit...

“Fake it until you make it” is popular advice in business and personal development. It sounds practical, even empowering: act confident now, and the confidence will follow. But does this really work in communication? The short answer: it depends on what you mean by “fake.” Why faking is harder than it sounds Humans are remarkably sensitive to subtle behavioral cues. Research in social psychology and communication shows that we are often better at detecting inconsistencies between words and behavior than we realize. Even when we cannot consciously explain what feels “off,” our brains register it. For example, microexpressions—very brief, involuntary facial expressions—can reveal underlying emotions. A person may try to appear calm, enthusiastic, or confident, but fleeting signals in the face, tone, posture, or timing can betray tension or doubt. These small mismatches shape how trustworthy, authentic, or competent someone appears. Interestingly, when it comes to outright lies,...

Your voice is one of your most powerful communication tools—and it plays a much bigger role than most people realize, especially in first impressions. Many of us treat our voice as something that is simply given . Like a fingerprint, it seems almost impossible to change. And to a certain extent, that’s true: we can often recognize dozens of people just by the way they say “hello.” But here’s the good news. Even within the limits of your natural voice, there is enormous potential for improvement. I’m not a voice coach myself, so the best advice I can give is to work with a professional—ideally a theater actor or a singer. If that’s not an option, even a drama student can teach you a surprising amount about voice awareness and control. Singing lessons in general are also highly recommended. When it comes to improving your voice, the problem usually isn’t that you’re not doing enough . More often, it’s that you’re doing things you shouldn’t be doing. Harsh, thin, or tense voices...

  Why “No Complaints” Might Be the Worst Sign in Your Company Many companies take pride in claiming they have a conflict-free environment. “In our team, there are no conflicts whatsoever.” “Our customers have only positive things to say about us.” Sounds ideal—but sometimes, “no complaints” is a warning sign. It may mean that employees or customers simply no longer care enough to speak up. Research worldwide shows that around 70% of the workforce is emotionally disconnected from their jobs. They show up, do their work, but their minds and hearts are elsewhere—quietly planning their next move. Or it could mean people are afraid to speak up. If your company has long promoted an agenda of “positivity,” employees may feel unsafe expressing concerns. They worry about being labeled complainers or disrupting the status quo. Here’s the counterintuitive truth: a certain degree of negativity is actually a sign of a healthy work environment. When disagreements, criticism, or even...