In the U.S., there are 5,000 aircraft in the air at any given time. Yet how many passengers seated in the exit row paid close attention to the safety announcement? Is our safety at risk because of collective inattention?

Why are more and more fans these days not watching the sports they love, but still following them avidly online?

In a survey of 1,000 professionals we disclose and discuss how constant connectivity is affecting our performance. Is always being plugged in helping or hindering us? Download the report

Nobody wants to be pushed, persuaded, swayed or sold something. Nowadays, powerful persuasion is ironically what’s killing civil discourse and making everyone tune each other out.

Writing down every word verbatim in the middle of a conversation, call or a meeting is a quick ticket to getting lost in the weeds. Listening, waiting and writing noteworthy notes is what drives big-picture thinkers.

The ugly reality is an errant word or simple comment is all it takes to send a conversation off track. Who’s to blame and how to avoid this painful problem?

What’s the hidden risk of repeating yourself? When people are easily distracted, it may be worth restating, reiterating or rephrasing. Just don’t overdo it (like I just did).

Some comments can derail conversations and send people down a rabbit hole or over the edge. There’s wisdom to know when to keep your mouth shut, no matter how tempting saying one more thing might be.

If you had to speak to an important, influential and busy executive, you’d expect brevity to be built in. Yet there’s a totally different (longer) standard when communicating with teammates, peers and subordinates. And it’s not ok.

Very few people are good listeners and the majority get no formal training to improve this valuable skill. We’ve all felt the frustration talking to someone who isn’t really listening. So why is it so hard?