“Hear Me Out for a Moment”: The Value of Strong Communication Skills

Glen D’Souza is head of creative at 72andSunny Toronto and newly part of the creative leadership of the broader 72andSunny Creative Collective, working across a number of countries globally. He is one of Canada’s advertising leaders, having been awarded and recognized at International and National award shows like Cannes, One Show, Clios, ADCCs and The Marketing Awards.

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Thinking about the biggest lesson I’ve learned is tough. There are so many along the way, but one keeps coming back to me.

Back in high school, while everyone else joined teams like rugby, baseball or volleyball, I decided Conflict Mediation was going to be my thing. That’s right. While my friends were chasing trophies and personal bests, I was helping classmates sort out schoolyard scuffs. Listening to both sides, helping them find common ground, making sure everyone felt heard.

Pretty weird for a 15-year-old, right?

But it felt natural. I liked listening to people. Really listening. Hearing what they were saying and what they weren’t saying. No distractions, no phones, no noise. Just people trying to work something out. And it turns out, that skill has stayed with me ever since.

Fast forward to my career in advertising. Whether you’re a marketer, creative or producer, listening is one of the most important skills you can have. It sounds simple, but the best things in this business usually are.

Clients share so much more than what’s written in a brief. The real insights are often in the conversations before or after a meeting, or in the way they talk about their challenges. You just have to be tuned in enough to catch it.

I remember being in a chemistry session for a pitch that felt pretty stiff. Out of nowhere, I asked one of the clients what her favourite ad from the past year was. It wasn’t a strategic question at all, more of a human one. But she immediately lit up. She talked about her favourite Super Bowl spot and what it made her feel. That moment completely changed the energy in the room.

That conversation told me more about her creative values than any deck ever could. I’m not saying that her answer won us the business, but it helped build a connection and that connection became the start of a great client relationship.

These days, with meetings stacked, Slack messages constant and AI overload, listening might feel like a luxury. But it’s the thing that grounds everything else. When you take the time to really hear someone, you get to the truth faster, build stronger relationships and make better work.