What do great leaders and great educators have in common? They are exceptional communicators. Thomas Murray, Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools, joins Daniel Rock and Erin Anderson Williams to dive into the curse of knowledge, the speed of modern communication, and why the most important part of any message is how it’s understood—not just how it’s phrased.

You can also read insights from this episode by checking out our blog post write-up. 

Key Takeaways

• The Stoplight Email: Why rapid-fire responses can shatter trust and how a simple apology can rebuild it.
• The Curse of Knowledge: The scientific reason why we often fail to communicate information we believe is common sense.
• Listening to Understand: Shifting from problem-solving mode to listening mode to build deeper connections with staff and families.
• The Knock-on-the-Door Test: A practical strategy for seeking feedback on sensitive communications before hitting send.
• Storyteller in Chief: How leveraging student voices can triple engagement and help schools own their own narrative.

Resource Mentioned

ThomasCMurray.com: For resources and tools to replicate these communication workshops with your own staff.

You can find this episode on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.