About me

I have a Master’s Degree in French. But since 2005, my focus has been helping non-native English speakers navigate corporate America in the Silicon Valley.

    Geoffrey Barto

    Communication Coach
    Why did I become a communication coach?

    Early in my career, I handled an issue at work, let’s say, poorly. The issue wasn’t the work I was doing, but how I communicated with another person, senior to me in the organization. Not good. Eventually, I realized a crucial truth:

    Successful communication does not mean saying exactly what you think.

    Successful communication means presenting a message that makes your viewpoint understood and accepted.

    Some people think that not saying exactly what you think is almost like lying. But successful communication doesn’t mean lying, massaging the facts or saying things you don’t mean. It means remembering who you’re talking to and how you are positioning yourself and your communication. You aren’t communicating so that you can talk, but so that other people can benefit from what you have to say. If they don’t understand you, it doesn’t work. And if they don’t like your tone, they’ll tune you out.

    To successfully communicate, you need to think of three things:

    • Your message
    • Your audience
    • The perception you are creating

    Let’s be honest. You may come from a different culture, a different part of the country or a different socioeconomic background than your colleagues. What you say isn’t what they hear. Understanding your communication from their point of view can make a difference in your career. That hurts, because good people and good ideas shouldn’t be held back by these things. But they are. The good news is that with new communication strategies, these challenges can be overcome.

    If you are bright and ambitious, but somehow you’re not having the impact you want, changing your communication can help. As a student of language and culture, and as a certified Life Coach, I’m here to help. Contact me today at Career-Communication.com for a free consultation and to learn more.