What’s the most underrated life skill?
For me, it is communication.
Being a nurse, I have seen first-hand just how important good communication is. It can reassure someone who is scared, prevent misunderstandings, build trust and, sometimes, make a huge difference to someone’s care.
However, communication is not just a nursing skill.
It is an everyday life skill and one I think we are becoming surprisingly bad at.
You don’t have to work in a hospital setting to notice this. Basic customer service can sometimes feel like a lost art. A simple hello, thank you, I’m sorry, or let me see how I can help can completely change someone’s experience.
Good communication isn’t about having the perfect words. It’s about listening, being clear, showing respect and remembering there’s another person on the other side of the conversation.
Taking a moment to actually communicate with someone properly costs very little and more often than not, those few extra seconds can make all the difference.
The amount of times I walk into a store and make a purchase, only to be shocked at how little communication or customer service there is. Even making a purchase, quite often the credit card machine is placed in front of you without any words, not even how much your purchase is. Sometimes I have to ask how much am I paying!
Let’s bring back good communication, this is a skill that has to be taught, as it doesn’t come easily to everyone. Perhaps communication isn’t underrated because it’s unimportant, maybe it’s underrated because we forget just how powerful it can be.
Amazing blog post Wayne and man I respect Nurses, your jobs are not easy, they are as hard as a rock and Nurses must have good communication skills to inspire the patients that they will get better and that they are in good hands. It can be scary and dangerous to be a Nurse or a Doctor because the people’s lives are at your care so you need to show diligence and be compassionate to the patients and think about their families. As a Blogger myself, blogging is a communication skill so it is worthwhile to write god blog posts that are a form of written comunication, even words written can inspire others.
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Very good point. Thanks very much Mthobisi for your thoughts.
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I hear that Wayne! We forget how powerful good communication can be!! Well said!! 😊
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So true. Thanks very much 🙏🏽
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A pleasure, Wayne!
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I think you’re right about the importance of communication, Wayne. I agree that we don’t get much in the way of communication during transactions. I think that’s a shame because it’s one way in-person could gain an advantage over on-line (or at least reduce the disadvantage).
I do find that I can still count on quite a bit of communication when visiting the pub/bar.
I will say that during my recent trip to the ER, the nurse that worked with me made a huge difference to the way I felt during my care.
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That’s so great to hear Dan! I always tell students, a patient will not remember what you look like, or what your name is…but they will always remember how you made them feel. I have to say not all places are lacking good communication. I have a coffee most mornings from our student campus, and I thoroughly enjoy the conversations with the staff each morning. It’s not only the coffee I go for, but the also the meaningful conversations.
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This was such a fantastic and necessary read, Wayne! Coming from a nursing perspective makes your point even more compelling—in healthcare and in daily life, those extra few seconds of clear, warm communication make all the difference. Your example about store clerks silently sliding card terminals forward without a word hit the nail on the head! I completely agreed with beth that basic friendliness ought to be the norm, and as Neal Saye said, this was a beautiful reminder. Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks so much for your reply, it means a lot. I always try and emphasise to nursing students about the importance of good communication. It’s definitely essential and I guess more so than any other setting but I still feel it’s necessary everywhere.
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That nursing perspective adds such valuable weight to this! In high-stakes environments, clear communication isn’t just helpful—it can literally be life-saving. Absolutely agree that the same clarity and empathy apply everywhere in daily life. Wishing you a wonderful and inspiring week ahead, Wayne!
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Thanks very much, you too!
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Great point, Wayne. And I think communication involves having other feelings/skills, like empathy and compassion.
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That’s so true Richard. It’s all about the tone…and active listening, another communication skill. Some are great at talking but maybe not so good at hearing.
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Well said, Wayne
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Ah thank you!
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Yes, so true. I am always so pleasantly surprised when someone is congenial or gives great service but in reality that should be the norm.
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So true Beth, I wish it was the norm.
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Very true
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Many thanks!
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Beautiful post, Wayne.
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Thanks so much Neal.
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The cell phones seem to be raising the kids and so they don’t learn communications the way we did. You’re right it really is important.
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That’s so true. People are glued to their phones these days.
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I agree completely. Well said.
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Thanks Lynette 🙏🏽
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