If You’ve Been Told to
Work on Your Communication
This Is for You.
Smart engineers don’t struggle with intelligence.
They struggle with influence.
Engineer conversations that build credibility, influence decisions, and unlock promotions without politics, posturing, or personality makeovers.
Watch the Engineering Better Conversations Briefing · 15 minutes · No opt-in required
Why “Work on Your Communication” Rarely Works
Most of the time, no one tells you there’s a communication problem.
You just walk out of meetings thinking:
• Why did that idea get approved instead of mine?
• I gave clear direction. Why is it still a struggle to get people to follow through?
• How did they land that promotion? Was I even considered?
Then, eventually, the feedback comes.
“You need to work on your communication.”
“You need to work on your emotional intelligence.”
“You’re too detailed.”
“You’re not executive enough.”
That feedback isn’t wrong.
But it isn’t useful.
Because what people are really trying to say is this:
• Your ideas make sense, but they’re not landing the way you intend.
• Your direction is clear to you, but not to everyone else.
• Under pressure, your intensity feels like pressure, not leadership.
No one explains how to fix that
Most communication training fails engineers.
It assumes everyone communicates the same way.
That the same techniques will work for everyone.
They don’t.
People process information differently.
They respond differently.
And under pressure, those differences become more pronounced.
So high-performing engineers try harder.
They apply the training precisely.
And then wonder why it feels unnatural or falls apart in real conversations.
That’s not a capability issue.
It’s a design flaw.
When Conversations Land, Everything Shifts
When Conversations Miss…
Meetings feel heavy or circular
Your ideas are technically sound — but don’t stick
You avoid certain conversations because they feel risky
Feedback is vague: “communication,” “EQ,” “executive presence”
Promotions feel uncertain or out of reach
When Conversations Land…
Meetings have direction people want to act on
Your ideas influence decisions without pushing
Difficult conversations feel calm and controlled
Feedback shifts to trust, confidence, and leadership
You confidently ask for — and get — raises, roles, and responsibility
Engineer Your Next Conversation
If you have five minutes, start here.
This short video will change how you see what’s actually happening in your conversations — especially in meetings, feedback discussions, and moments where influence matters most.
No training jargon.
No personality makeovers.
Just a clearer way to understand why some conversations land and others don’t.