Molly Tschang ’85 is on a mission to eradicate a pervasive workplace problem: communication breakdowns. Released in May, her first book “Say It Skillfully — Speak Up. Make Your Words Matter. Win Together.” aims to empower professionals at all levels to address this widespread organizational blind spot and prevent misalignment, wasted talent, and unrealized value.
Tschang’s communication insights stem, in part, from her experiences in early childhood, when she did not speak English and was painfully shy. Later in life, a big part of her career included leadership positions at Cisco and U.S. Filter, where she partnered with executives in integrating more than 80 mergers and acquisitions.
Today, as founder of Abella Consulting she guides senior management teams to commit to each other’s success and lead powerfully together. Through Say it Skillfully Inc., she helps professionals and leaders find their authentic voices and use them to make positive change. She also shares her insights on her Say it Skillfully podcast and video series, as well as on LinkedIn Learning and other platforms.
An active member of the Cornell Engineering College Council, Tschang has maintained her connection to the college since earning her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from what is now Cornell’s Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “I would not be the person I am or have the relationships, experiences and success I’ve had to date without my time at Cornell,” she said.
“Say it Skillfully” was coauthored with Marshall Goldsmith, a leading executive coach and writer. Fellow Cornellian, Ken Blanchard ’61, an author and business consultant, wrote the foreword, and Alan Mulally, the former CEO of Ford Motor Company and Boeing Commercial Airplanes, contributed the epilogue.
Tschang recently answered some questions about the book, offered advice for new graduates, and broke down some common communications barriers.
Q&A with Molly Tschang ’85
How has your engineering background prepared you for success outside of engineering fields?
Three things stand out for me from my education at Cornell Engineering:
- Learning how to learn and what to learn. Near the end of my freshman Fall, I was ready to transfer out. Literally, I think I’d already been accepted to University of Toronto. School was overwhelming for me, because I really thought I had to “learn everything.” I had to realize that I didn’t need to do that — and spending time socially was important! In life, one has to differentiate between what you need to know and what you don’t. So, that was big.
- I learned problem-solving by working together. For most of us, the curriculum was super hard, and there would be no way to cut it on your own even if you wanted to. I eventually came to expect myself to be solving “hard” problems, and I didn’t see that as a burden, but as a great challenge and opportunity.
- Probably the most important experience, for me, was gaining a sense of self-belief and building confidence from dealing with the workload and somehow pulling it off. I emerged better, stronger, and more capable for it.
What is the difference you hope to make with this book?
Marshall and I wrote the book to shine a light on a widespread workplace blind spot: even in high-performing organizations, people hesitate to speak up — out of fear or out of simply not knowing how. Leaders think they’re accessible. Employees think otherwise. The result? Misalignment, wasted talent, and lost value.
We’re tackling the communication breakdowns that hold us back by helping people at all levels express themselves skillfully and create environments where people feel valued, heard, and perform at their best!
Effective communication is the ultimate currency. It is the way to trusted relationships, great work and a happy life — and it’s a team sport. All of us play a role. Yet, whether at school or work, we’re not taught this life-changing skill. That’s why I created Say It Skillfully — to do my fair share to empower people and create open, transparent and high-performing workplaces.
Whether you went to Cornell or community college, you did not work hard just to be a wallflower at the office or to sit silently on the sidelines. Too often, this is the case. I’m on a mission help people be who they are and say what needs to be said — skillfully — so they’ll be happier, healthier, and more productive at work and in life.
What are the biggest barriers to effective communication?
In the book, I identify the lack of shared reality — not being on the same page about the facts and the human experience — as the No. 1 barrier to performance. The only way for people to be on the same page is by everyone speaking up. It’s easy to blame others for communication disconnects, but — once again — communication is a team sport.
The two factors that hold most people back — often in combination with each other — are fear and a feeling that they don’t have the skill to speak up. In the book, we unpack the top fears: being wrong, not fitting in, and offending. And while psychological safety is absolutely important, it is often not the issue. (Bosses don’t get up in the morning saying, “I’m going to make it so scary that no one tells me what I need to hear!”) If people don’t have the skill to speak up without it feeling too risky, it doesn’t matter how safe it is, they still will stay silent.
Ultimately my vision is that we live in a world where we “Win as One.” By that, I mean people speak without fear and feel heard. We work together to make good ideas great, let go of what doesn’t serve us, and create extraordinary value and meaning in life.
What are your top tips for new graduates and others just entering the workforce?
I wish, early on, I had the awareness that your communication is how others fundamentally experience you. What you say, and how you say it, ultimately says more about you than your CV. So, build this life changing skill!
In any interaction, how you show up sets the stage for success. Be intentional with your energy as you enter into any conversation, especially if it might be a more challenging one.
The “killer combo” is showing humility (that you don’t know all the answers) while also confidence (that you’ll get the answers — by working with other people). As new kid on the block, it may seem that you don’t have anything to add, but being new can be a real advantage to teams. Share generously with your thoughts and ideas in the spirit of helping the team (not to “look good” or “be right”).
Most of all, be mindful of what you want to “be known for” as you interact with others. Do you want them to think of you as a fast learner? A self-starter? Someone who does what they say they are going to do?
I’d offer that, if you’re known as someone who helps others be their best and raises collective performance, good things will happen.