Communication Essentials For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Communication Essentials For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Elizabeth Kuhnke
Released June 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9780730319511

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Book description

Get ahead in your personal and professional life with crowd-pleasing communication skills

Packed with advice on improving verbal and non-verbal communication skills alike, Communication Essentials For Dummies is a comprehensive, approachable guide to communication no one should be without. Utilising a core range of simple skills, this friendly guide shows you how easy it is to communicate effectively. You'll find out how to listen actively, establish rapport, communicate with credibility, manage communication in difficult situations and converse with ease using modern technology — and lots more.

Great communication skills can make all the difference in your personal and professional life, but for those who tend to get a bit tongue-tied under pressure or just have a hard time asserting themselves, voicing thoughts coherently and confidently can be a sweat-inducing experience. Here, expert author Elizabeth Kuhnke takes the intimidation out of communication by sharing her top tips for successful communication in any situation.

  • Discover how to get ahead in the workplace by mastering your communication skills
  • Realise the benefits of active listening and the value of establishing rapport
  • Understand how the use of effective communication skills can help you secure a new job offer
  • Recognise how to use effective communication to negotiate your way to personal and professional success

Whether you're looking to climb the corporate ladder, take on a new professional challenge or just want to improve your communication skills in personal and professional relationships, Communication Essentials For Dummies will have you listening, voicing and articulating your way to success in no time.

Table of contents

    1. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Where to Go from Here
    2. Chapter 1: Looking at the Finer Points of Great Communication
      1. Using Your Whole Body to Communicate
        1. Getting into the right frame of mind
        2. Putting your eyes and ears to work
      2. Communicating with Clarity
        1. Sending a clear message
        2. Providing feedback
        3. Being clear about your goals, needs and preferences
        4. Distinguishing between personal and business conversations
      3. Displaying Respect for Other People
        1. Behaving respectfully
        2. Listening with an open mind
        3. Connecting with different types of people
      4. Handling Challenging Communications
    3. Chapter 2: Knowing What You Want to Achieve
      1. Communicating with a Clear Intention
        1. Declaring your needs and preferences
        2. Saying what you mean
        3. Meaning what you say
      2. Presenting a Compelling Case
        1. Tapping into what matters to the other person
        2. Speaking with credibility
      3. Removing Potential Barriers to Achieving Your Aims
        1. Avoiding criticising
        2. Letting go of moralising
        3. Casting aside blame
    4. Chapter 3: Grasping Different Communication Styles
      1. Developing Your Awareness of Different Communication Styles
      2. Communicating with the Loud and Proud or the Meek and Mild
        1. Giving the introvert time to think
        2. Letting the extrovert take the stage
      3. Taking in the Wide View or Preferring Detail
        1. Picking up on the big picture
        2. Focusing on the fine detail
    5. Chapter 4: Listening Actively for Total Understanding
      1. Listening with the Intention to Understand
        1. Lowering your barriers
        2. Letting go of judgement
        3. Turning off your opinions
        4. Paying attention to people’s words and behaviours
        5. Hearing what people don’t say
      2. Getting into the Other Person’s Mindset
        1. Asking questions to check your understanding
        2. Paraphrasing for clarity
      3. Letting People Know They’ve Been Heard
        1. Being open to being corrected
        2. Going beneath what’s been said
        3. Respecting people’s feelings
    6. Chapter 5: Establishing Rapport for Effective Communication
      1. Building Trust and Camaraderie
        1. Demonstrating curiosity
        2. Finding common points of interest
        3. Seeking similarities
        4. Making your assumptions clear
        5. Acknowledging the impact of your behaviour
      2. Engaging with Empathy
        1. Appealing to people’s feelings
        2. Standing in other people’s shoes
      3. Creating Alignment to Build Rapport
        1. Establishing rapport in the workplace
        2. Matching and mirroring posture and energy
        3. Listening for understanding
        4. Pacing and leading to advance the conversation
    7. Chapter 6: Choosing the Right Attitude
      1. Speaking from the I-Position
        1. Discovering the I-position
        2. Using I-statements
      2. Appreciating the Power of Your Actions
        1. Letting go of accusations
        2. Sending a message that resonates
      3. Connecting with Commitment
        1. Wanting to engage with other people
        2. Networking effectively
        3. Speaking with conviction
        4. Telling a compelling story
    8. Chapter 7: Speaking with Clarity
      1. Illuminating Your Intention
      2. Supporting Your Breathing
        1. Putting your posture into the picture
        2. Filling yourself with air
      3. Adding Quality to Your Voice
        1. Articulating to be understood
        2. Emphasising your points
      4. Picking Words That Resonate
        1. Adding gusto and passion
        2. Cutting through the clutter
        3. Bridging to stay on track
    9. Chapter 8: Getting Yourself Out of Sticky Situations
      1. Dealing with Conflict
        1. Seeking to understand other people
        2. Taking practical action
      2. Managing Difficult Behaviour
        1. Treating people with respect
        2. Taking practical action
    10. Chapter 9: Negotiating with Finesse
      1. Preparing to Negotiate: The Basics
        1. Establishing your uniqueness
        2. Gaining commitment in principle
        3. Aiming high
      2. Setting Out Your Stall
        1. Letting the other side go first
        2. Listing all your requirements upfront
        3. Defining clear goals
      3. Staying Focused During the Process
        1. Being prepared to trade concessions
        2. Keeping the big picture in mind
        3. Respecting the relationship
        4. Determining the consequences
        5. Knowing who holds the power
        6. Considering all solutions
        7. Summarising and clarifying as you go
      4. Closing the Deal
    11. Chapter 10: Communicating Across Cultures
      1. Respecting Cultural Differences
        1. Stereotyping and generalising
        2. Developing awareness of different cultures
        3. Appreciating norms, values and beliefs
        4. Acknowledging customs and religious practices
        5. Being flexible
        6. Following the locals
      2. Understanding Context
        1. Spelling things out: Low-context cultures
        2. Inferring, suggesting and implying: High-context cultures
      3. Avoiding the Pitfalls
    12. Chapter 11: Communicating Successfully through Technology
      1. Getting Your Email Etiquette Right
        1. Appearing your best in emails
        2. Thinking of your reader
        3. Creating a distinctive and descriptive subject line
        4. Registering a professional-sounding address
        5. Keeping your formatting simple
        6. Watching for danger points
      2. Making the Most of Social Media
        1. Representing yourself on Facebook
        2. Twittering and tweeting
        3. Getting LinkedIn
      3. Employing Other Forms of Electronic Communication
        1. Working your way around the web
        2. Keeping in touch with texts
        3. Finding your voice through VoIP
    13. Chapter 12: Ten (Or So) Tips for Effective Communication
      1. Treating the Other Person with Respect
      2. Knowing the Preferred Form of Communication
      3. Thinking Before You Speak
      4. Talking Less and Listening More
      5. Asking Questions to Understand
      6. Minding Your Non-Verbal Behaviour
      7. Handling Disagreements with Diplomacy
      8. Opening Yourself to New Ideas
      9. Following Through on Promises
      10. Recognising What’s Going On Beneath the Surface
      11. Being Aware of Your Body Talk
    14. Index
    15. About the Author
    16. Business & Investing
    17. Connect with Dummies

Product information

  • Title: Communication Essentials For Dummies, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Elizabeth Kuhnke
  • Release date: June 2015
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9780730319511