Though understanding collaboration matters, there are three interconnected skills fundamental to every successful process – every successful idea.

Number one? Take it away scientist Sandra Nelson:

“If you can’t communicate your knowledge, you’re in the wrong job. You have to be able to communicate it verbally and you have to be able to communicate it in writing.”

Bingo. Communication is absolutely fundamental to everything – from politics and policymaking to research and science to art to almost every career.

It’s why Sandra says the key to her work isn’t just good research, but also “it’s those storytelling and structure components that we learn in English class in high school that are so important. I use the essay structure, the paragraph structure that I learned from Mr. Olsen, my grade 11 English teacher, all the time and it continues to serve me to this day. It was one of the best courses I ever took – English 11.”

Few understand good communication better than Clive Jackson, the long-time Global News managing editor. Clive helped decide what stories made the cut for TV news each night. And the secret ingredient that helped the stories get on the air?

“Passion. Someone has to care passionately about what it is they’re trying to sell to the media. And I think that reflects in whatever they do. If they send a press release saying ‘we’ve got this great story here!’ Then that’s half the battle, you have someone that cares. You also need to show that it’s a visual story, it’s a unique story, and that you’ve got people who will come forward to talk about what it is you’re trying to talk about.”

And if the goal is to get on TV news?

“Of all those story tips that came in, what makes one stand out? Firstly, it’s got to be short. There’s no point in sending in reams and reams of words because no one’s going to read it. You’re going to maybe read two or three sentences.”

That’s not just important advice for pitching the media – that’s important advice for every type of communication. If the goal is to pitch an investor or sway a policy maker or just convey an idea to a friend, keeping it short matters.

So too does this, says Clive: “When you send an email, it’s the title that really helps.”

But even a good pitch is irrelevant, Clive argues, if what’s being pitched is “lost in academia. You really don’t want to go to conferences where people are sitting around in suits. And that’s really part of the problem with environmental stories – you have these conferences where people are sitting around.”

If you can find a way to take a dry story and present it in a new, engaging and passionate way? According to Randall Howard, it will “engage people at a very visceral level, they almost don’t even realize (that they’re learning). So, it’s very powerful.

Randall Howard is one of Canada’s top angel investors.

“(Using story to teach) has been used by Madison Avenue and other advertisers for years. I always think, let’s harness this and use it for the good.”

The ‘this’ in this case is the next step in good communication skills: Marketing.

“That is a huge thing to learn!”

Camilla d’Errico is a world-renowned po-surrealist artist. She tells us that marketing is critical to any good process – even the artistic one.

“It’s a massive part of it. You can’t just create some art and expect it to go somewhere. That doesn’t happen. You have to push for it.”

Camilla adds marketing is more than social media.

“You have to push. The way that things are going now with social media? A lot of people rely too much on it. They put all their eggs in an Instagram account, like, ‘yep, that’s it!’ No. That’s why I go to so many conventions and that’s why I rarely say no (to opportunities) – I keep myself open to possibilities.”

And that’s marketing: The pursuit of unique platforms – unlikely platforms even – that fit our own communication style and help us convince others to buy what we’re selling – figuratively or literally.

Or, as former marketing executive Garrick Ng explains, “you know what messages need to be said. (With marketing) you engineer that context. You make sure your key messages get out.”

Sometimes that means heeding this advice from movie producer Mary Young Leckie:

“If it entertains you, then you will find an audience that’s like minded.”

And sometimes it means heeding this advice from freelance journalist Niki Wilson:

“Instead of talking about climate change, maybe talk about ice fishing and that’s your entry point (to talking about climate change), how many fewer ice fishing days there are per year. That’s just an example, but I think you have to be really paying attention to who you’re trying to connect with and what stories they’re interested in.”

But good marketing always means understanding this advice from movement reporter and builder Salimah Ebrahim:

“If you can grow from a community of one to 5000 people who really, really care about what you’re doing – are invested in it, who are sharing in it, who are there for the long haul – you can potentially scale that through media and influencers to a community of millions. But if you don’t actually have that initial groundswell of people? I’ve never seen it. I’ve never seen a big marketing effect create a movement of five million people.”

After all, change happens – in politics or in business; because of art or science or research – when ideas take flight as movements.

But every movement needs this sobering reminder from rising leader Brandon Nguyen:

“I’ve realized that the world revolves around money and, so, if you don’t have money to support your initiative, then it’s very difficult to bring anything to fruition.”

That bit of real talk brings us to the final skill every good process requires: Business sense.

As accountant Amanda Gierling reminds us, “If you can’t manage your own finances, how are you going to possibly take your idea to the next step? How are you going to apply that to your professional life?”

Well, you can’t. It’s why understanding money matters, right Amanda?

“Starting from a young age, understand money, finances, debt. It’s going to lay the foundation for your own life and, actually, if you want to take your idea to the next level. Money is always involved. It’s always going to be. You can’t get away from money because it’s how our world works. So, if you are not able to get through the details and understand what’s what in regards to finances, I think that you’re already a step behind.”

Indeed, understanding money doesn’t just make life easier, it makes work more impactful too. After all, every project requires money – investment or funding.

And even though many of us find raising money difficult, one of Canada’s top fundraisers, Paul McIntyer-Royston, says it’s easier than we think.

“Funding isn’t hard because the basic bones of it are just connecting with people and asking and engaging and fostering a relationship. Fundraising really is all about the relationships.”

Paul’s advice?

“If you’re looking for money – whether it be a passion project or a cause you just truly care about – be authentic and realize fundraising is just an invitation to participate in something bigger than yourself.”

And remember, storyteller Garrick Ng says, “People say no, you’ll get doors closed on you. But that’s part of the adventure. I treat this as an adventure.”

Indeed, every good process – life – is just that.