5 Books Every Designer Should Read to Communicate Effectively
From meaningful critique to negotiation
Design is not only about creating solutions but bringing your team together and aligning them towards a user-centered approach. However, whenever you work with others, there’s bound to be conflict, disagreement and tension.
Here’s several books with practical advice on how to stand your ground, persuade, give/receive feedback and create clarity with your team.
- Radical Candor (Kim Scott)
Scott shares the concept of “radical candor” from personal experiences with her manager, and how to give and receive feedback that is helpful yet authentic.
The purpose of criticism is to help others improve. The purpose of praise is to help others know what to keep doing more of.
— Kim Scott
2. Non-violent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg)
A refreshing approach to empathetic communication which focuses on expressing how you are, and building a language of needs, as well as how to provide genuine observation without judgement, blame and coercion.
Analyses of others are actually expressions of our own needs and values.
— Marshall Rosenberg
3. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It (Chris Voss)
A former International Kidnapping Negotiator brings in techniques such as active listening, tactical empathy, mirroring and using calibrated questions which can in turn be applied to everyday negotiation situations.
Negotiate in their world...It’s about the other party convincing themselves that the solution you want is their own idea.
— Chris Voss
4. Conscious Business: How to Build Through Values (Fred Kofman)
Kulhan helps us understand the “why” behind effective communication and how to build trust in a team.
The behavior of leaders exemplifies what people with power — and those who aspire to have it — are supposed to do.
— Fred Kofman
5. Getting to “Yes And”: The Art of Business Improv (Bob Kulhan)
One well known improv rule is the concept of “Yes And”. Kulhan explains how it can also be applied to encourage the free flow of ideas to foster cooperation, build on the ideas of others and divergent thinking in business.
The dynamic cannot be “here’s why i’m right and you’re wrong”. It has to be more along the lines of “Yes, and you’ve got that problem. I’ve got this problem. Let’s punch this out from all angles and figure out how we can work together to solve both issues…”
—Bob Kulhan
Bonus
Creative Selection (Ken Kocienda)
An interesting look into Apple’s creative process from an insider on the ground floor of the company, with many fascinating details that led to the original iPhone, keyboard and more.
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