The 11 Laws of Likability

Introduction

I used to believe I knew most of what there was to know about connecting with people and building relationships. But one day my belief got completely upended. It happened while I was teaching one of my classes at New York University. The course was about organizational communication, and it was for business school sophomores. The students were there to learn strategic tactics for communicating effectively. Even though we covered a wide range of topics during the semester—from understanding the audience to constructing oral and written presentations—my overarching message was always the same: You must have a purpose for every communication. If you haven’t established your intent, I told my students, you are wasting your time and your ...