University: early immersion in effective communication

I began an unexpected, hands-on education in negotiation, meeting facilitation, and conflict resolution twenty years ago, during the second year of my university life. I was elected to the position of "President of the Junior Common Room" of University College, Oxford—making me the main spokesperson and representative of the undergraduate body.

I had to communicate with and between the diverse undergraduate and postgraduate bodies; the administration, kitchen, and maintenance staff; the tutors, lecturers, and professors; and the dean and master of the college. Faced with such political, social, and cultural diversity, I quickly learned to remove implicit and explicit assumptions from my language, and developed the skill of appropriately adjusting my choice of wording to match my audience.