Communication Skills for Managers, Fifth Edition

Table of contents

1. Cover Page
2. Title page
3. Copyright Page
4. Contents
5. About This Course
6. How to Take This Course
7. Pre-test
8. 1. Communication: The Key to a Manager’s Success
   1. Learning Objectives
   2. Overview
   3. What is “Communication”?
   4. Why Managers Communicate
   5. Why People Fail to Communicate Clearly
      1. Lack of Time and Planning
      2. Competing Messages
      3. Differences in Knowledge, Perspectives, Needs, Expectations, Priorities, Status, Culture, and Gender
      4. Assumptions
      5. Fears
   6. How Well Do You Communicate?
   7. What it Takes to Communicate Clearly
      1. Know and Respect Your Audience
      2. Know Why You are Communicating
      3. Know What You Want to Say
      4. Pay Attention
      5. Keep an Open Mind
      6. Be Specific
      7. Take Enough Time
   8. Recap
   9. Review Questions
9. 2. Listening: The Foundation
   1. Learning Objectives
   2. Overview
   3. Why Does Listening Matter?
   4. What is Good Listening?
   5. Obstacles to Good Listening
      1. Noise
      2. Distractions
      3. Assumptions
      4. Rehearsing
      5. Impatience
      6. Lack of Interest
      7. Distrust
      8. Differences in Status, Gender, and Culture
   6. Listen Actively
      1. Focus on the Speaker
      2. Clarify as Needed
      3. Paraphrase to Summarize Meaning and Content
   7. How to Be a Better Listener
      1. Have a Reason for Listening
      2. Participate in the Process
      3. Monitor Your Listening Behavior
      4. Be Patient
      5. When Appropriate, Take Notes
   8. Recap
   9. Review Questions
10. 3. Getting Your Message Across
    1. Learning Objectives
    2. Overview
    3. Strategies for Delivering Clear Spoken Messages
       1. Know Your Audience
       2. Know What You Want to Say and Why You Want to Say It
       3. Keep Your Message Simple and Specific
       4. Make Eye Contact with Listeners and Speak Slowly and Clearly Enough to be Understood
       5. Choose the Right Time and Place
    4. Making Sure That Listeners “Get” Your Message
       1. Pay Attention to Verbal and Nonverbal Responses
       2. Ask Questions as Needed to Check Out Your Perceptions of the Listener’s Understanding
       3. Ask the Listener to Summarize What You Have Said and Restate the Message as Needed
    5. Conveying Clear Messages to Influence
       1. Know Your Objective
       2. Know and Respect the Other Party’s Needs, Interests, and Concerns
       3. Be Prepared with Specifics to Support Your Position
    6. Communicating Your Ideas in a Meeting
       1. Think Through What You Plan to Say
       2. Make Eye Contact with People in the Group
       3. Speak Clearly, Concisely, and Distinctly
       4. Be Prepared to Illustrate and Support Your Points
    7. How to Give Criticism
       1. See Criticism as Useful
       2. Be Specific and Use Examples
       3. Use “I” Messages
       4. Focus on Behavior and Results, Not on Personalities or Personal Traits
       5. Avoid Making Assumptions
       6. Focus on Relevant Issues
    8. Recap
    9. Review Questions
11. 4. The Art of Asking Questions
    1. Learning Objectives
    2. Overview
    3. Why Ask Questions?
       1. Asking Questions to Get Information
       2. Asking Questions to Clarify Understanding
       3. Asking Questions to Help People Think Things Through
       4. Asking Questions to Encourage Participation in a Meeting or Team Effort
       5. Asking Questions to Create or Maintain a Relationship
    4. Types of Questions
       1. “Closed-ended” Versus “Open-ended” Questions
       2. Clarifying Questions
       3. Probing Questions
    5. Key Strategies for Asking Useful Questions
       1. Know Why You’re Asking the Question
       2. Ask the Right Type of Question
       3. Be Sure the Question is Relevant, Necessary, and Appropriate
       4. State the Question Clearly
       5. Give People Time to Respond
       6. Listen Attentively to Responses
    6. How to Ask Questions During an Interview
       1. Know Your Objective
       2. Be Prepared
       3. Choose the Right Time and Place
       4. Establish Rapport
       5. Ask the Right Questions and Listen Carefully
    7. Using Questions to Encourage Participation in Meetings
       1. Create a Safe Environment
       2. Ask Specific, Open-ended Questions
       3. Give Everyone a Chance to Participate
       4. Send Out Questions Ahead of Time
    8. Using Questions to Elicit Information in Difficult Situations
       1. Be Sure the Person Knows Why You are Asking Questions
       2. Be Patient
       3. Rephrase the Question
       4. Let the Person Know You Appreciate and Value Their Responses
       5. Remain Calm and Focus on the Issue
       6. Ask Closed-ended Questions
    9. Recap
    10. Review Questions
12. 5. Helping People Learn
    1. Learning Objectives
    2. Overview
    3. Why Clear Communication is Important to Learning
    4. How Adults Learn
       1. Adults Actively Participate in the Learning Process
       2. Adults are Respected for Their Experience and Knowledge
       3. Adults Have Clear Learning Goals and Understand the Relevancy of What They are Learning
       4. Adults Have Opportunities for Practice with Immediate Feedback
       5. Adults are Allowed to Make and Learn from Mistakes
       6. Efforts and Successes are Reinforced, Appreciated, and Supported
    5. How to Help People Learn
       1. Set the Stage
       2. Establish Clear Learning Objectives
       3. Break the Process into Segments or Steps
       4. Demonstrate, Explain, and Teach the Segments or Steps in Sequence, and Provide Opportunities for Practice
    6. Recap
    7. Review Questions
13. 6. On your Feet: Making Successful Presentations
    1. Learning Objectives
    2. Overview
    3. Reasons for Making Presentations
    4. How to Give Successful Presentations
       1. Know Your Subject
       2. Know Your Audience
       3. Select the Right Information and Organize It Effectively
       4. Start and End on Time
       5. Speak so You Can be Heard and Understood
       6. How to Manage the Question-and-Answer Session
    5. How to Reduce Presentation Fear
       1. Identify the Reasons for Your Fear
       2. Focus on the Planning and Preparation Process
       3. Take Care of Yourself
       4. Arrive Early
       5. Make Eye Contact with People in the Audience
       6. Breathe
       7. Use Silence
    6. Recap
    7. Review Questions
14. 7. On the Page: What Is Good Writing?
    1. Learning Objectives
    2. Overview
    3. Why Write?
       1. Writing Leaves a Record
       2. Writing Conveys Details Effectively
       3. Writing is Efficient
       4. Writing Can be More Precise than Speaking
    4. What Is Good Business Writing?
       1. Clear, Concise Main Point at the Beginning
       2. Enough Information to Support and/or Explain the Primary Message
       3. No Unnecessary Information
       4. Information Organized so Readers Can Follow Points Easily
       5. Sentences and Paragraphs Short Enough to Read Easily
       6. Clear, Concise, Active, and Appropriate Language that Readers Can Easily Understand
       7. Correct Grammar, Sentence Structure, Punctuation, and Spelling
    5. Strategies for Communicating Clearly in Writing
       1. Think About Your Reader
       2. Identify Your Primary Purpose and Message
       3. Decide What Information to Include and Organize it Logically
    6. Recap
    7. Review Questions
15. 8. On the Page: How to Write Well
    1. Learning Objectives
    2. Overview
    3. How to Help Readers Follow Points and Find Details
       1. Use Short Sentences
       2. Use Short Paragraphs
       3. Use Lists
       4. Use Headings
    4. Write an Effective Opening and a Useful Closing
       1. Writing Effective Openings
       2. Write Useful Closings
    5. Use Effective Language
       1. Use Active Language
       2. Use Concise Language
       3. Use Specific Language
       4. Use Plain English
    6. Proofread for a Professional Image
       1. How to Proofread
    7. Recap
    8. Review Questions
16. Appendix
17. Communication Skills Log
18. Bibliography
19. Post-Test
20. Index