65 pages • 2-hour read
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
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Discussion Questions
General Impressions
Invite readers to reflect on their broad takeaways and initial reactions to the book.
1. Which of the communication strategies in Supercommunicators felt most immediately applicable or enlightening to you?
2. How does Supercommunicators compare to other self-help books that you've read about communication and connection in terms of accessibility or insightfulness, such as David Brooks’s How to Know a Person?
3. Which of the three conversation types (practical, emotional, or social) do you think is most underemphasized in modern communication?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Help readers relate the book’s lessons to their own life experiences.
1. Can you think of a specific moment when—or not applying—the “matching principle” impacted the outcome of one of your conversations?
2. What personal fears or beliefs might be holding you back from using the vulnerability techniques Duhigg recommends?
3. When have you used deep, values-based questions to build trust or resolve conflict? What was the result?
4. In what environments or relationships are you most sensitive to non-verbal communication? How does that affect your behavior?
5. Reflecting on your communication journey, what key events or relationships have shaped the way you speak and listen today?
6. Think of a person who you feel you are always in misunderstandings with—how could the “looping” technique improve the dynamic?
Real-World Relevance
Encourage readers to think about the book’s role in current social, cultural, or professional conversations.
1. How do modern communication tools like texting and Zoom complicate or improve our ability to engage in the three types of conversations Duhigg outlines?
2. In what ways could improved communication skills help address current challenges like workplace burnout, political polarization, or social isolation?
3. Where have you seen communication break down due to identity-based assumptions or biases? What lessons from the book could apply?
Practical Applications
Invite readers to consider how they might put the book’s advice into action.
1. If you were to create a “supercommunicator profile” for yourself today, what goals would you set to strengthen your communication over the next month?
2. Imagine facilitating a one-day workshop based on Duhigg’s ideas. How would you design the day? What two or three key takeaways would you focus on implementing?
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