By Steve Adubato, PhD

Tim Russert was a first rate communicator. He was an excellent journalist and interviewer, yet the way he communicated provides a range of lessons for all professionals.

Following are just some of the communication tools and techniques Tim Russert used that helped him connect with so many different audiences on such a meaningful level:

• Passion and enthusiasm. It was obvious that Russert truly loved what he did. We like communicators who have tremendous energy and when that comes across, it engages us and pulls us in. You never felt like Russert was going through the motions or asking questions simply given to him from a producer. His passion and enthusiasm were infectious. The world needs more passionate communicators who aren’t afraid to show how they really feel.

• Assertive yet civil. Russert was a tough but civil communicator who never felt the need to raise his voice or draw attention to himself. Unlike many broadcasters and managers, Russert didn’t berate people he interviewed. He never raised his voice to make his point or to expound upon his expertise. Being tough yet civil is one of a manager’s most difficult challenges, regardless of who or what you are managing. Some people think being tough means being mean or nasty. That was anything but Russert’s style.

• No jargon. Tim Russert used everyday, conversational language. One of the reasons many younger people enjoyed watching and listening to Tim Russert was that he never made them feel as if they didn’t know enough to be a part of the conversation. Russert used to tell a story about how nervous he was when he got the “Meet the Press” job in which his father told him to just relax and talk to your audience the way you talk to me. Too many professionals use language that excludes others. We build walls with our language. As a communicator, Russert didn’t feel the need to show you how smart he was by using words that only he and other Washington insiders understood.

• Open-ended questions. Not only did Tim Russert use great questions, he actually cared about the guest’s response. It sounds obvious that an interviewer (or any professional) should know how to ask questions that get another person talking, yet, it is a rarely used communication tool. Some professionals ask closed-ended questions that elicit uninterested “yes” or “no” type answers. They make statements in the form of a question and aren’t particularly interested in what another person has to say. We can all learn from Russert’s matter of fact but always engaging questions that encouraged other people to truly think about their response. Russert made you think. As communicators, making others think is critical, yet too few of us actually do it.

• Active listening. Instead of anticipating what someone is going to say and formulating his response, Russert gave people a chance to talk. For many communicators, including broadcasters, listening is not a priority. Russert was a genuinely curious and interested communicator. He didn’t feel like he had all the answers.

• Being genuine. By all accounts, Russert had the same communication style whether he was on or off the air. Of course you have to consider your audience and your situation, but the more your communication style is consistently in the same ballpark, whether you are speaking in public or conversing with a friend, the more likely you are to connect with others. Russert understood that and lived it.

Clearly, Tim Russert will be missed, not just as one of American’s great journalists, but as the consummate communicator. Hopefully his legacy will inspire the rest of us to take a closer look at how we connect with others and inspire us to be the best communicators we can be.