Are Our Communication Skills Really Improving?
We live in a world obsessed with constant improvement. Every year, a new iPhone—or Samsung—arrives, faster, smarter, and cheaper than the last. But what about our human skills? Are we really better listeners, negotiators, salespeople, or managers than people were 50 or 100 years ago? Sure, we have incredible tools today—spreadsheets, spellcheckers, and even AI. Yet every profession still relies on a purely human component. In fact, as technology advances, these human qualities often become the decisive differentiator in business. Consider free internet. In the 1990s, I cycled 30 minutes to my local library just to read online newspapers in Romanian. Back then, free internet was a major differentiator. Today, free Wi-Fi is everywhere, but most people already have mobile data. Decisions are now based on other factors. The same is true in business: technology alone no longer sets you apart. Communication skills—how we interact, listen, and connect—are increasingly what matters. Th...