Hi Reader,

Welcome to the second edition of the 3-2-1

• (check out previous issues here).

You're getting this because you care about developing people.

I'm sharing what I'm learning about the IC development opportunity.

And today, we focus on communication.

Let's get into it.

3 Things for L&D

​Middle managers fade as AI rises​

• Evidence of “Great Flattening” accelerated by AI in Gusto data (8,500 SMBs): ~6 ICs per manager in 2025 vs ~3 in 2019. Fewer manager layers → more end-to-end responsibility on ICs.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 3 min read

​State of Business Communication Report (Grammarly)​

• 64% leaders say effective comms ↑ productivity; poor comms → stress, attrition.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 6 min read + download the full report

​The Precision Writing Gap​

• Concrete drills (question assumptions, quantify claims) you can embed in writing workshops to hone strategic sound-bites and POV formation for ICs.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 7 min read

2 Things for You

​It's Supposed To Be Hard (motivational video)​

• There's a genre of YouTube creators who splice together motivational lines from movies and podcasts with uplifting music. This fires me up for long runs.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 51 min listen (or watch)

​Tips for Communicating Better Virtually (podcast)​

• I got some useful tips from this HBR podcast that improved how I communicate over video calls, emails, and DMs.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 31 min listen

1 Idea From Me

🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 4 min read

In most organizations, the ability to communicate and champion an idea is not evenly distributed. That means the marketplace for ideas is skewed:

• High-quality ideas from people with weaker influence skills often die quietly.
• Lower-quality ideas from skilled communicators can rise and get funded.

Why It Happens

1. Influence asymmetry – Some people have:
   • A trusted relationship with decision-makers.
   • A natural fluency in framing ideas to match leadership’s priorities.
   • A habit of repeating their story in multiple contexts.
2. Evaluation shortcuts – Executives, pressed for time, often choose the idea from the person they already trust rather than evaluating every proposal on pure merit.
3. Narrative bias – Leaders remember stories more than they remember logic or data tables.

Without deliberate systems to surface and evaluate ideas objectively, organizations have a high probability that the ideas which get greenlit are not the best ones — they’re just the best-sold ones.

If you want your idea to survive in a decision-making environment full of competing agendas:

• Play the long game: build credibility and connection when nothing is at stake.
• Repeat the message: make sure leaders repeatedly hear about the outcomes you’ve delivered.
• Mix the medium: use informal, off-agenda moments (hallway chats, offsites, shared projects) to plant mental “ticks” that position you as a trusted problem-solver before the next big decision.

We cover this (and more) in our workshop on Communicating Messages That Land.​

That's it for this week - I hope you enjoy your Sunday.

I'll be back in two weeks ✌️

Andrew

P.S. Looking to level up your IC development pathways? I'm offering complimentary 30min strategy reviews for any L&D leader working on this crucial cohort. Click here to book your session if you are serious about taking action.