One Sentence Can Change a Whole Conversation
Sitting conversation
I was working in charge in the Emergency Department when I stepped away briefly to drop medications at the hospital pharmacy.
Nothing unusual about that.
While I was there, an elderly man stopped me to compliment my beard.
He had one too, a little fuller, whiter, but he wore it with pride.
That small comment turned into a five-minute conversation.
He’d recently had a knee replacement and was optimistic about moving without pain again. You could hear the hope in his voice. As we spoke, he shared that he was a widower. His wife had passed away seven years earlier.
Before we parted, I asked him a simple question:
“If you could describe your wife in one sentence, what would you say?”
He paused.
Just for a moment.
Then his face softened into the kind of smile you don’t forget, and he said:
“My wife was a saint.”
That was it.
But it changed everything.
He went on to talk about her with warmth, joy, and gratitude. You could feel the love still very much alive in the room. A sentence had opened a door to meaning, memory, and connection.
And then, just like that, we both went on with our day.
Why This Moment Matters
What struck me wasn’t the length of the conversation.
It was the quality of it.
That one sentence didn’t just answer a question, it shifted the emotional tone entirely. It turned a casual chat into a moment of human connection.
This is something I see again and again in my work.
We often think meaningful conversations require:
The right words
Perfect timing
Long explanations
But often, it’s one thoughtful sentence, or one curious question that makes all the difference.
The Power of a Single Sentence
One sentence can:
Lower someone’s guard
Invite reflection instead of defensiveness
Turn small talk into real talk
Help someone feel seen, not rushed
In busy environments like hospitals, worksites, classrooms, offices, we don’t always have time for long conversations.
But we do have time for intention.
A single, well-placed question.
A sentence spoken with genuine curiosity.
A pause long enough to listen.
Those moments matter more than we realise.
This Is What “Human Skills” Look Like
Human skills aren’t complicated frameworks or polished scripts.
They’re moments like this:
Choosing curiosity over autopilot
Asking a question that invites meaning
Being present enough to listen to the answer
These skills don’t just improve communication.
They improve connection at work, at home, everywhere.
A Question for You
Think about your own conversations this week.
What’s one sentence you could ask that might change the tone?
Who in your life might appreciate being invited to share a story?
Where could you slow down just enough to listen?
Sometimes, that’s all it takes.
Join the Conversation
I shared this story inside my Make Human Skills Matter community on Skool, and the response was powerful. People reflected, shared their own stories, and talked about the moments that stayed with them long after the conversation ended.
If you enjoy reflecting on communication, connection, and the small human moments that make a big difference, you’re welcome to join us here
No pressure. Just good conversations with people who care about being a little more human.
My First Blog (Ever). Why Human Skills Matter More Than We Think.
My first blog… how exciting and terrifying at the same time.
Since launching my business back in January, 2025 I’ve gone through every emotion you can imagine: fear, doubt, excitement, anxiety, anger, and that little voice that says, “Mate, who do you think you are writing a blog?” If you’ve ever hesitated to start something because you didn’t feel ready enough, you’re in good company. This is me ripping the band-aid off. I figured the best place to start is with the beginning… my own human skills journey.
Why now? A colleague once asked why I started running human skills sessions with my team. We spent so much time improving our clinical skills, trade skills, teaching skills… but almost none on communication, emotional intelligence, or confidence under pressure. It went awkwardly quiet for a moment. Then she said: “When you put it that way… yeah, we don’t really do much about it.” That moment stuck with me. Since then I’ve had ideas, doubts, more ideas, more doubts, and eventually I hit that point where you ask yourself,
What’s the worst that would happen if I just tried?
Now I’m almost 40, a dad of 2 and honestly, no one has ever said anything so bad that it wasn’t worth giving something a go. So here we are. The moment everything clicked Back in 2021, I took on the CNS leadership group. Quickly I realised something: People weren’t lacking skill, they were lacking confidence. Challenging conversations, leadership, empathy… these weren’t part of any “competency checklist.” There’s no yearly assessment for emotional intelligence. There’s no curriculum for human skills. Yet these skills are the difference between a good clinician, educator or tradie… and a genuine leader.
What I wish more people understood Emotional intelligence, communication, resilience, motivation — they’re all trainable skills. They’re not personality traits. They’re not magic. They’re not reserved for “good communicators.” If you don’t pick up a guitar and play a whole song perfectly the first time… or walk into a gym and throw 100kg on the bar… why do we expect a difficult conversation to magically go well without practice? Human skills need reps too. And yes, sometimes you’ll get it wrong, and that’s normal. That’s part of the process. One moment I didn’t get it right Early in my Associate Manager role, stress and insecurity got the better of me, and I snapped at a nurse. Nothing dramatic but damaging enough. It hurt our relationship, it dented team morale, and it taught me one of the biggest lessons in leadership:
Pause. Lead with curiosity, not authority.
Trust is built slowly and broken quickly. That moment changed the way I show up for people. What I’m seeing in workplaces everywhere Nursing, childcare, trades, schools; the industries look different, but the challenges are the same. People are exhausted. Communication breaks down. Confidence disappears. Small issues snowball into bigger ones. Most problems don’t come from bad people… they come from people who don’t know how to navigate pressure, conflict, or emotion. Human skills bridge that gap. They make workplaces safer, calmer, clearer, and more connected. One small tool you can use today If you want to grow in any area, pick a skill, share it with someone you trust, and tell them: “I’m practising this. I won’t get it right every time. I want your feedback so I can improve quickly.” That one sentence can completely shift your learning curve.
Why connection matters to me working in emergency care, you see life change in seconds. Families come together when tragedy strikes. People say things they should’ve said months or years earlier. Connection shouldn’t only matter in crisis. The people who seem the most fulfilled are the ones who take a moment to ask a real question, call someone they love just to check in, or pause long enough to truly listen. And sometimes connection saves a life. I’ve seen that first-hand. It’s why I’m doing all of this. What I hope you take away If I can shift your perspective even 1 degree, that’s a win. Try leading with curiosity for one conversation this week. Try pausing for five seconds before you respond. See what changes. Small shifts, over time, lead you somewhere completely different. Where this blog is heading Right now, I just want to share what I’ve learned and why I believe Human Skills Matter. If you’re interested, you can check out my social channels or join my Skool community (it’s free).
This is just the start. Thanks for being here! It honestly means a lot.