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As the world gets smaller it also gets more complex. Technology is bringing people closer together while at the same time distancing others. To navigate this landscape requires a particular set of communication skills. Skills that you acquire and perfect over a lifetime. Some of these skills are as old as humankind. Others have been brought on by the advent of technology and require new learnings. They're skills that, when stacked up on top of one another, can turn you into a Master Communicator. To be an effective communicator in the digital era you have to develop a Communications Stack. Scott Adams of Dilbert fame developed what he calls The Talent Stack, which is loosely defined as the set of individual skills you acquire to make you unique in the marketplace. We can apply this model to communications too. Acquiring communication skills and stacking them on top one another can mean the difference between success and failure. Good communication is important regardless of what you do in life. You need it to get on with other people, to make your case in disagreements and to help you put forward your wants and needs. The difference in good communication and bad communication can mean losing a relationship, losing a business contract or being misunderstood. The top 10 skills you need to effectively communicate now and in the future. Collectively these skills can help you become a Master Communicator and futureproof you for the increasingly complex world ahead. And they are? 1. Written communication Despite moving into a more visual-based media world, mastery of the written word will remain as important as ever. People will always read and the demand for well-written content will continue. Structuring sentences well, knowing how to craft an article, how to write up an interview and how to create written content for each social platform will continue to be an in-demand skill for the foreseeable future. 2. Verbal communication Knowing how to articulate yourself when speaking is important for all walks of life. Some people are naturally adept at public speaking whereas others have to work on it. Demosthenes of Athens, an ancient Greek, was known as a master orator but that wasn't always the case. He was naturally weak both verbally and physically so as a young man worked on both his speaking skills and bodily strength. Nothing can invoke more emotion both in you and your audience than verbal communication. Churchill was right, learn oratory skills and you too can become a king (or queen). 3. Nonverbal communication Did you know 65 percent of all interpersonal communication is nonverbal? What your body says is often more important than what comes out of your mouth. Understanding nonverbal communication not only allows you to read other people but can also help you know how to present yourself when dealing with others. If you want to remain open, don't fold your arms or point your feet away from the other person. If you don't want to seem nervous, don't rub your body or grab the back of your neck with your hand. Read the best book on nonverbal communication, What Every BODY is Saying by ex-FBI agent, Joe Navarro, to understand what people say is often not what they're thinking. 4. Social psychology If you want to communicate better with other people, you have to understand what motivates and moves them. To do this requires a basic understanding of social psychology. Why do people conform to a certain group? Do they aspire to social status? Have they had any experiences in the past which affect how they think now? You don't have to be a Freud or a Jung, but some basic principles will allow you to understand the other person and ultimately be able to help them. Charlie Munger's The Psychology of Human Misjudgement is a great place to start. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqzcCfUglws 5. Emotional intelligence