“Nothing is going to get you further along than to be able to connect with people,” legendary broadcaster Robin Roberts says in the intro to her new MasterClass, Effective and Authentic Communication.
And while Roberts does explore how to interview people effectively as a television journalist, this is not a Journalism 101 course. Instead, she dives deeply into what it takes to truly connect with the people around you—the basis for any effective communication.
The new 11-part class contains practical lessons that just about anyone can apply to their professional lives. There’s a class on how to interview for a job (Lesson 6). Roberts’s pro tip: If your résumé is lacking, come armed with ideas. “You can compete with being creative. You can compete by having the ideas,” she says. And there’s a class on how to communicate your value at work (Lesson 7), which offers helpful advice on negotiating raises and promotions.
But Roberts, who is known for raw and frank conversations with subjects that include everyone from Dolly Parton to Barack Obama, doesn’t just deliver professional advice. She also explores communication skills can change your personal life. In Lesson 3, she details how sharing your story with others—and embracing the vulnerability of doing so—can enrich your connections with the people around you.
At times, the lessons can feel a bit pat, but even those moments are charming and inspirational, thanks to Roberts’s candor about her own story. And that’s exactly how MasterClass flows—like a story. Unlike many online learning platforms, which hinge upon professional certifications and live within the world of academia, MasterClass offers lessons that are bingeable and entertaining, as well as helpful and informative.
Roberts’s MasterClass is no different. At only 2 hours and 21 minutes, it’s easy and fun to watch, and her acumen and engaging guidance make it worth it.
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