How do you construct a winning argument? Leading criminal defence barrister Chris Daw KC @crimlawuk is a man who knows. The Hillsborough enquiry. Defending high-profile sportspeople like John Terry and Ryan Giggs. Serious cases of fraud, corruption and a £500m cocaine trafficking ring. Chris has an incredible track record in winning over judge and jury - and some very good stories to tell! And he tells me all about it in Untangling Arguments – the new episode of Communication Untangled. I caught up with him between cases to explore his toolkit of persuasive communication techniques. He shares some intriguing secrets, like… ✳️ The clues he looks out for in the jury which help him decide which words and phrases to use ✳️ How he seeks out the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ – then goes on the attack! ✳️ And why Donald Trump, teenagers, and short, snappy political slogans are so effective in winning an argument. And we take a short recess in the middle and move from the court into the workplace. Zodia Hall, the Conflict Resolution Lady, explains how arguments rarely start where you think they start – and how you can use the EAR framework to resolve tension and rebuild trust. Listen to Untangling Arguments and you’ll be well on your way to a triumphant victory next time you fall out with someone! Start here: sookio.com/podcast

Being added to the email marketing list by people I once had a coffee with is one of my least favourite things about modern-day digital communications. Same goes for meeting someone at a networking event, or discussing a potential partnership... none of this means you can just add people to your list without their consent. Because then you're in the awkward position of having to unsubscribe from the list of someone who you probably quite like, and you don't want to offend them....either way, they need to ask you first! #GDPR

Sudden sense of dread as I picture all the AI-generated digital Christmas cards that businesses are going to be sending out this year 🫣

Get/Who/To/By + How + Why? In this month's Letter from the Editor I'm sharing the no-frills strategy that shifts you out of decision paralysis and gets your marketing moving! Read it now: preview.mailerlite.io/previe… Subscribe: sookio.com/mailing-list

Conflict in the workplace can be so draining, can’t it? Toxic office politics…simmering tensions that never get resolved…passive aggressive comments that leave you wondering what the person actually meant by that. And all the remote working has only made it worse! In Untangling Arguments, Zodia Hall, the Conflict Resolution Lady, explains that this conflict rarely starts where you think it starts. It’s typically down to pressure, a misunderstanding, or unmet emotional needs that have been building for some time. Listen to this episode and you’ll find she speaks a lot of sense! ✅️ Why a culture of naming things is so important in enabling us to fix the problem ✅️ How to use the EAR framework to resolve tension and rebuild trust – that’s Empathise, Acknowledge, Respect ✅️ The right language to use if you want to repair the relationship and prevent the argument from happening again Listen to Untangling Arguments now: sookio.com/podcast Your colleagues will thank you for it!

I'm seeing people criticising this, but anything that involves improving communication skills has my support. Particularly at a time when, if we're not careful, the allure of AI is going to negatively impact our writing skills. Being state school-educated myself, I remember going to university and learning alongside students who'd been to private school and just being really struck by their confidence in standing up and...talking. Then in the workplace earlier on my career, feeling nervous about speaking up in meetings then missing the moment. Helping young people from all backgrounds become more articulate can only be a good thing, in my opinion

It's so lovely when people tell me they listen to Communication Untangled and share a favourite story or moment that made them go: "Oooh! I never noticed that." Do explore recent episodes and maybe you'll discover a favourite story of hidden comms of your own... communicationuntangled.co.uk…

I'm getting loads of these messages from Meta now it's dragging everyone onto this Meta One subscription service.... but who is DJ Jeffrey and why have I added myself to his business portfolio?! It doesn't appear to be phishing but I'm not clicking on it to be sure. Just weird...

“The primary issue for me in any situation is who is the person I’m seeking to persuade? And what is it going to be that’s going to make THAT person listen to and accept my argument? How do I appeal to THEM, rather than make the argument I THINK I want to make?” In Untangling Arguments, top criminal defence barrister Chris Daw KC @crimlawuk joins me to explain the art of persuasion. The Hillsborough enquiry. Defending John Terry and Ryan Giggs. Cases of serious fraud, corruption and cocaine trafficking. He has an impressive track record in winning over judge and jury. Good communication has been central to this success, and, like me, he’s fascinated by the psychology of it all. ✔️ How he uses empathy to encourage the jury to be more favourable to the defendant – and advises his clients how to behave in court ✔️ The component parts of a strong argument, and how he uses repetition of specific points to build momentum and sow doubt in the jury’s minds ✔️ The subtle clues he picks up and how he changes his language and phrasing to match And it all comes back to this central point. Which – as any good marketer should know – is that it’s critical to focus on the person you’re trying to convince, not the point you want to make. OK, so I am CONVINCED you’re going to learn a lot in this one! Listen to Untangling Arguments now: sookio.com/podcast And if you’re enjoying Communication Untangled, can I persuade you to leave a review? 😊

I don't mind picky bits. Then again, I don't mind holibobs either. And I've just done a literal guffaw at being reminded of platty joobs 🤣 Britishness at its finest!

Publishers have been urged to delete Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram accounts before a T&Cs change kicks in.

It's been unsettling all weekend, following the news about Paris and Limoges on Twitter while having to be alert to AI disinformation and taking the default position of not trusting what I'm seeing just in case, then looking it up to be sure. Stark contrast to the night of the horrific Bataclan attack when Twitter was a lifeline really, enabling people to take shelter - and you just trusted that what was posted was verifiably true

I've signed up to tweet.app to see what's what... Try this link to have a nosey too... signup.tweet.app/r/sookio

What’s your business identity? Giant Monster, Elite Team, Visionary Ecosystem, or Efficient Machine? In Untangling Leadership, the latest episode of the Communication Untangled podcast, Majid Islam from Alignment Cubed explains how you need to adapt your communication style to the type of organisation you’re leading. The idea that there is a one-size-fits-all approach to communication is where many business leaders go wrong. • Efficient machine? Like Starbucks, MacDonald’s, Toyota…Start with why to give people a deeper purpose behind what they’re doing and keep them interested. • Giant monster like GSK or AstraZeneca? You need structure in your communications. • Elite team? Like a startup or small consultancy with expert specialists…focus on trust. • Visionary ecosystem? For platform organisations like Netflix or AirBnB it’s all about communicating your values and vision. Listen to Untangling Leadership to hear Majid explain in full. It makes total sense – and might even change the way you think about leadership communication completely… Listen, like and subscribe to Communication Untangled: sookio.com/podcast

“You need to have the score in your head, not your head in the score.” For Untangling Leadership, the latest episode in the Communication Untangled podcast, I sat down with orchestra conductor Robert Ziegler and sounded him out on leadership communication. He’s led orchestras across an incredible mix of genres – from the world’s best symphony orchestras performing the classics to Quadrophenia, computer game Genshin Impact, and the recent live tour of David Attenborough’s Ocean and the film soundtrack to Lord of the Rings. He explains that as a conductor one of the most important things to do is to listen. You need to connect with the musicians, make eye contact – look up from the score itself and actually listen to what they’re giving you. It’s just one of the lessons in good leadership communication which you can take from our conversation and apply to your own business environment. We also talk about: • How do you read the room – when you have your back to the audience? • What’s in his communication toolkit of hand gestures, baton, facial expressions and body language – and how does he bring it all together? • Getting the best out of brilliant people – like Placido Domingo • Recording Lord of the Rings in Abbey Road in London, with director Peter Jackson dialling in from New Zealand and relaying instructions As an amateur pianist, lifelong music lover and business founder myself, our conversation left a lasting impression – I hope it will be music to your ears too! Start here: sookio.com/podcast and scroll down for show notes with links to Robert’s YouTube channel and Spotify playlists. [📸 Matthew Andrews, Ray Phillips]

When you’re leading an orchestra, how do you communicate with 80 incredibly talented musicians, all at once – when you’re the ONE person in the room who can’t make a noise? In Untangling Leadership, the new episode in Communication Untangled, Conductor Robert Ziegler shares lessons in leadership communication from his incredible career leading orchestras around the world. @ziegler360 Not just performing classics from Beethoven, Chopin and Holst – but recording the film score to Lord of the Rings, the soundtrack to computer game Genshin Impact, and collaborating with Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Max Richter, and Pete Townshend and so many more. He’ll talk about: • The importance of eye contact • How to read the room – when you have your back to the audience • Why the best conductors are like the CEO presenting a compelling vision everyone can get behind. I’ll also hear from Majid Islam from Alignment Cubed, who explains how you need to adapt your communication style according to the type of organisation you’re leading – is it a Giant Monster, Elite Team, Visionary Ecosystem, or Efficient Machine? There’s so much in this episode you can apply in your own business! Listen, like and subscribe to Communication Untangled: sookio.com/podcast

Sunday night cinema viewing - Verity - did my usual thing of not reading any reviews, and actually didn't know anything about it at all. Really gripping! I've actually been working all day; something that needed full focus and to get into a flow, hence weekend working. Good to completely switch context and get lost in a film