I had a manager at Meta who had a stark difference in how he communicated in meetings versus how he spoke with people in a relaxed setting.

In a relaxed setting, he was cracking a bunch of jokes and was super funny.

In meetings, it felt like every word was very intentional, and he made sure to call out everything explicitly, even going as far as saying, "I know this might seem obvious, but I just want to be explicit about XYZ"

I couldn't quite put words to the difference I saw for a long time. Even though I could somewhat imitate the behavior, I didn't quite understand it.

Then it hit me: with his friends, he was talking. In meetings, he was communicating.

I'd like us to let go of the idea that communicating is something we do as an add-on, an extra, or a distraction from the "real work" of designing.

These products we're building are very complex, and no one can do it alone anymore. So the only way to create products that inspire and define the future is to exchange information as we work together in teams.

That's what communication is about. And the more you progress through your career, the more communication becomes the job.

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