The Best Communicators are Usually the Best Listeners

Empathy is an underrated professional skill.

Some of the best work I’ve done throughout my career didn’t come from being the smartest person in the room, or being the best writer with all the answers. It came from taking a step back and listening to the business needs — which usually stem from pain points, frustrations, or operational gaps.

I used to think being highly empathetic in corporate environments might be perceived as a weakness.

I no longer view it that way.

I have worked hard throughout my career to stay true to who I am at my core while still maintaining professional boundaries. The two can absolutely coexist, and I’ve found my listening and connecting-building skills to be some of my greatest strengths when creating content.

I find real gratification in being able to take weight off a stakeholders shoulder’s by resolving an issue simply because I listened closely enough to understand the real frustrations behind it.

Because it’s not always the nitty gritty of the process flow.

Some of my biggest insights have come from understanding the gap in a process without a stakeholder having to explain every detail word for word. Some would probably call that a superpower.

Maybe it comes naturally to me because I genuinely care about the work I do and the people behind it.

But one of my favorite moments is seeing the sigh of relief from a SME when they realize:

“Oh, she gets the plot.”

And suddenly they no longer have to worry about how the project will turn out.

Whether it’s content strategy, process documentation, or cross-functional collaboration, people communicate better when they feel understood first.

That trust goes a long way — and I truly believe it shows through in the work.