Impactful Communication: Kathryn Ficarra Of The C Group On 5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator
An Interview With Athalia Monae
Self-Awareness — it is the foundation of effective communication. Understand how your emotions, biases, and reactions might influence how you communicate with others. Being mindful of your triggers and staying grounded during conversations allows you to stay focused, authentic, and more empathetic, even in challenging situations. Once you develop this muscle, you can maintain a calmness in all situations.
In an age dominated by digital communication, the power of articulate and effective verbal communication cannot be understated. Whether it’s delivering a keynote address, leading a team meeting, or engaging in a one-on-one conversation, impactful speaking can open doors, inspire change, and create lasting impressions. But what truly sets apart an effective communicator? What techniques and nuances elevate a speech from mundane to memorable? As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Kathryn Ficarra.
With more than 20 years of experience guiding team leaders and managers through profound changes, Kathryn has developed a unique approach to organizational transformation. Her innovative, evidence-based methodologies have helped numerous organizations transition from mere survival to thriving success. By immersing herself in various corporate cultures, Kathryn has gained invaluable insights that enable her to implement transformative strategies in unprecedented ways.
As a thought leader in leadership development and cultural transformation, Kathryn is committed to sharing her insights and best practices with the broader business community. She is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences, workshops, and seminars, known for her engaging and inspiring presentations. Her ability to connect with audiences and deliver actionable insights makes her a valuable contributor to the field of organizational development.
Kathryn’s unique blend of executive experience, consulting expertise, and thought leadership positions her as a dynamic force in the realm of leadership and cultural transformation. Her work continues to shape the way organizations approach change management and leadership development.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about communication, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
Of course — after 20 years in the corporate space running sales and marketing teams, I got to a place where I really wanted to focus on filling the gap I see in so many companies, and that is the idea of getting clarity around your purpose and connecting it to what you do each day. I see culture break down time and time again over leaders not having any connection to who they are and what their purpose is. Many times this leads to being stress ridden, reactive and wreaking havoc on the culture of an organization. This impacts the employees on all levels. When we are connected with ourselves, and our purpose, we can approach what we do each day with clarity, strength, conviction and calmness. It is a very different energetic output.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
One personal reason I got her was because I witnessed a manager within my organization whose insecurities were so heavy, they could not manage outside of the lens of the external validation they needed to feel successful. This manifested not only professionally, but also socially within the organization. The insecurity turned into a management style ridden with uncertainty, stress, and bullying like behavior. It all but killed the culture the CEO was so thoughtful about protecting. After a year of HR meetings, It wasn’t until the employee threatened to leave that a reorg was put in place and the behavior of that higher level manager was exposed. But that year cost the company a lot of loss in productivity, which resulted in loss of revenue. These things should never happen.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
1. Empathy
You need the ability to truly understand and connect with people on a deep, human level. Empathy allows you to meet your clients where they are, help them feel seen and heard, and guide them through their mindset shifts in a meaningful way. I always ask my clients what their challenges have been and what that experience has taught them, it assists me in directing their forward momentum, no cookie cutter approach can fill what a true understanding of someone’s personal experience has been.
2. Resilience
I have built this consulting studio and continued evolving despite challenges. I invested in myself when that seemed impossible. I kept my own internal conviction that what I was doing was necessary. I vowed to live my purpose. It’s what helped me push through difficulties, pivot when needed, and inspire others to do the same in their personal transformation journeys.
3. Vision
You need a clear vision of what you truly want and what that can and should look like, but be open to letting go of the how. I had a vision but not a clue how it would fall into place. I leaned into the signs, I got a vivid picture of my limiting beliefs and worked on them. I fell in love with the idea that I could transform the way people think so they could live a life they were made for. I needed a forward-thinking mindset that allowed me to guide executives into a new paradigm of leadership that goes beyond just surviving the day-to-day and taps into their full potential.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that we are all on the same page. How would you define an “Effective Communicator?” What are the characteristics of an effective communicator?
An effective communicator, to me, is someone who doesn’t just speak clearly but truly connects with the person they’re talking to. It’s not just about the words they use; it’s about how they listen, engage, and create space for real dialogue.
The key characteristics of an effective communicator are active listening, where they’re not just waiting for their turn to talk, but genuinely understanding what’s being said. Then there’s clarity — they can get their message across without confusion, making sure it resonates with the other person. And finally, empathy — they’re able to put themselves in the other person’s shoes, adjusting their approach to make the conversation feel meaningful and collaborative.
It’s less about talking at someone and more about creating a conversation where everyone feels heard and understood.
How can one tailor their communication style to different audiences or situations?
One effective way to do this is to focus on what matters to them: Different people care about different things. Executives might want to hear how your solution impacts the bottom line, while a team might care more about how it improves day-to-day workflow. Tailoring your message to focus on what’s most important to your audience ensures they stay engaged and see the value in what you’re communicating. You need to be aware and flexible.
Can you provide an example of a time when you had to adapt your communication style to reach a particular audience successfully?
One theme was always when I would speak to my management about our employees, I would have a very specific set of strategies I would deploy for growth and development. When I would sit down with them, I always leaned into how they communicated what was important to them, how they were motivated. This is different for every person. But the tone/ language and focus was very different to each of them even though the overall message was the same.
How do you handle difficult or sensitive conversations while maintaining open and effective communication?
Lead with empathy. Embody the human experience. Never should a conversation be led with anger or aggression. You can be firing a person and still let them leave with their own dignity and respect, situation dependent of course.
In your experience, how does storytelling play a role in impactful speaking? Why do you think stories are effective in communication?
I am a massive storyteller. It is the easiest way to keep your audience. I tell stories in everything I do, in every example I give. I was teaching a group of managers about the locus of control. We were talking about how to handle situations out of your control, in this particular meeting I led with a personal story, they looked at me and were like, oh I get it. It just helps put the lesson into perspective with a level of resonance that makes sense.
What are your “5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator”?
1 . Self-Awareness — it is the foundation of effective communication. Understand how your emotions, biases, and reactions might influence how you communicate with others. Being mindful of your triggers and staying grounded during conversations allows you to stay focused, authentic, and more empathetic, even in challenging situations. Once you develop this muscle, you can maintain a calmness in all situations.
2 . Nonverbal Communication — Your body language, eye contact, and tone of voice can often speak louder than your words. Maintain an open posture, make appropriate eye contact, and watch your tone to align your nonverbal cues with your message. This consistency helps build trust.
3 . This one may not be super popular, but watch your energy. How do you feel? If you are operating off of your sympathetic nervous system, you are in fight or flight and It is really hard to have a productive conversation. I am really particular on checking in with myself before important conversations, if I am off, I will move the meetings. Your internal state of being impacts the lens in which you consume information.
4 . Active Listening — You have to have enough awareness to be present. This is how you can actively listen. If you let a thought steal your attention. you’re pulled away from the focus of the person speaking. I like to finish conversations repeating back what I heard, so they know I listened- and also, at times, when you resurface back a thought to someone, they often hear it in a different way. It allows them to ensure their intent was laid out correctly.
5 . Adapt — This seems obvious but you would be surprised how many people don’t do this. You need to adjust your language and your tone so what you are saying lands and resonates with the intended recipient.
How do you integrate non-verbal cues into your communication? Can you provide an example of its importance?
I was told when I was early in my career that whenever I sat at my desk and met with a team member, I folded my arms. I was told it made me seem unapproachable and closed off. I had no idea of this habit. I really had to work to make sure I was aware of the ways I used my body as those cues sometimes speak louder than what you’re saying.
How has digital communication changed the way you convey your messages? Are there any specific challenges or advantages you’ve encountered?
It lacks tonality and intention. While I like that ChatGPT can be directional to expand on a concept, especially when it knows you, it can actually “think” like you, I have found more and more that I am shying away from those tools because it can never capture the intent the way I can with my own mind.
Public speaking is a common fear. What techniques or strategies do you recommend to manage and overcome stage fright?
There is a book called The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman. Read it. He talks about how some of the most successful entertainers use an alter ego to be able to get on stage. It helps you leave yourself at the door and be whoever you want to be on stage.
What additional resources do you recommend for individuals looking to improve communication skills?
Another book I love is Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott. It’s about intention, I used to have it be a must read for my managers.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would normalize personal growth and mediation in the workplace. If everyone got a little more connected to themselves, started their day getting really grounded and were held accountable to staying in a powerful state of being, there would be a lot more focus, collaboration, success and overall fulfillment individually in the workplace.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynficarra
Insta- thecgroupstudio
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About the Interviewer: Athalia Monae is a product creator, published author, entrepreneur, advocate for Feed Our Starving Children, contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media, and founder of Pouches By Alahta.
Impactful Communication: Kathryn Ficarra Of The C Group On 5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.