The Truth About Getting Your Point Across: ...And Nothing but the Truth

The Truth About Getting Your Point Across: ...And Nothing but the Truth

by Lonnie Pacelli
Released January 2006
Publisher(s): Pearson
ISBN: 9780131873711

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Book description

Improving communication skills is the single most powerful step one can take to supercharge a career.  What are the best, PROVEN ways to motivate action now, and gain lasting influence in any organization? The Truth About Getting Your Point Across reveals what really works: 59 principles and breakthrough communication techniques.  Discover how to recognize an audience's unspoken expectations; run effective meetings; develop powerfully motivating presentations; give teams clear direction; brainstorm and problem-solve  efficiently; successfully interview, listen, and give feedback; influence difficult colleagues; make the most of informal communication; and communicate more effectively with global colleagues.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Praise for The Truth About Getting Your Point Across
  4. Preface
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. About the Author
  7. Contents
  8. Part I: The Truth About You and Your Recipient
    1. Truth 1. Great Communicators Can Be Made
    2. Truth 2. Seek to Understand Your Recipient
    3. Truth 3. Communication Styles Aren't One-Size-Fits-All
    4. Truth 4. If You Think It Doesn't Make Sense, It Probably Doesn't
    5. Truth 5. Help Others Help Themselves
  9. Part II: The Truth About Setting Direction
    1. Truth 6. Don't Make Creating a Direction Statement Harder Than It Needs to Be
    2. Truth 7. Don't Be a Cave Dweller
    3. Truth 8. About-Faces Are OK—Just Don't Get Dizzy
    4. Truth 9. Direction Statements Need to Be Lived to Be Effective
    5. Truth 10. When Others Understand Your Direction, They Can Help You Get There Faster
  10. Part III: The Truth About Running Meetings
    1. Truth 11. Too Many Attendees Spoil the Meeting
    2. Truth 12. Watch the Pontificator!
    3. Truth 13. Drive a Tight Agenda; Don't Let It Drive You
    4. Truth 14. One Less Meeting Gets You Home in Time for Dinner
    5. Truth 15. Let Decided Decisions Stay Decided
    6. Truth 16. Action Items Get Done When Action Items Are Managed
  11. Part IV: The Truth About Developing Effective Presentations
    1. Truth 17. Give Them a Reason to Listen to You
    2. Truth 18. Entertaining an Audience Breeds Effective Learning
    3. Truth 19. Pictures and Graphics Are Great, But They Can Get Really Annoying
    4. Truth 20. Relax: The Audience Is Rooting for You
    5. Truth 21. Develop Content Once; Use It a Thousand Times
  12. Part V: The Truth About Writing Status Reports
    1. Truth 22. Focused Status Reports Get Read; Random Ones Don't
    2. Truth 23. Communicate Status in Less Than a Minute
    3. Truth 24. Know Who, When, and How
    4. Truth 25. No One Reads Yesterday's News
    5. Truth 26. Status Reports Aren't Code for Cover Your Butt
  13. Part VI: The Truth About Brainstorming
    1. Truth 27. There's a Right Time and Place for Brainstorming
    2. Truth 28. There Truly Is No Such Thing As a Stupid Idea
    3. Truth 29. Brainstorming Isn't Code for a Waste of Time
    4. Truth 30. Biased Facilitators Torpedo Brainstorming Sessions
  14. Part VII: The Truth About Problem Solving
    1. Truth 31. Every Solution Needs a Problem
    2. Truth 32. Choices and Consequences Make the Solution
    3. Truth 33. Dig Hard for That Third Alternative
    4. Truth 34. A Solution Is Only as Good as Its Implementation
    5. Truth 35. Bad Decisions That Don't Get Fixed Grow into Disasters
  15. Part VIII: The Truth About Interviewing
    1. Truth 36. You Can't Over-Prepare for an Interview
    2. Truth 37. Critical Thinking Drills Influence Hiring Decisions
    3. Truth 38. Lie About Your Credentials, Kill Your Career
    4. Truth 39. Babbling Is for Babies, Not Interviews
    5. Truth 40. Impress First, and Then Talk Compensation
  16. Part IX: The Truth About Giving Feedback
    1. Truth 41. Late Feedback Is Just As Bad As No Feedback at All
    2. Truth 42. Environment Matters
    3. Truth 43. Focus on the Behavior, Not the Person
    4. Truth 44. Sometimes It's Best Not to Offer Your Feedback
    5. Truth 45. Be Open to Feedback, and Then Decide How to Use It
  17. Part X: The Truth About Being a Good Listener
    1. Truth 46. Listening Means Letting Them Talk
    2. Truth 47. Don't Hang Out a Therapist Shingle Unless You're a Therapist
    3. Truth 48. Keep Stressful Meetings from Spontaneously Combusting
  18. Part XI: The Truth About Informal Communications
    1. Truth 49. Informal Doesn't Mean Ineffective
    2. Truth 50. Beware the Drop-In
    3. Truth 51. Focus on the Big Grapes on the Grapevine
    4. Truth 52. Be Accessible, Not Open-Door
  19. Part XII: The Truth About Influencing Those Who Don't Work for You
    1. Truth 53. Seven Attributes to Avoid if You Want People to Follow You
    2. Truth 54. Credibility Humps Get Smoothed Through Learning
    3. Truth 55. Being Partial Breeds Distrust
  20. Part XIII: The Truth About Communicating Globally
    1. Truth 56. It's Not All About the Ivory Tower
    2. Truth 57. You Have to Talk to Them, Even if It's After Hours
    3. Truth 58. Face-to-Face Paves the Communication Highway
    4. Truth 59. Just Because They Can Speak Your Native Tongue Doesn't Mean They Understand Everything You Say
  21. References

Product information

  • Title: The Truth About Getting Your Point Across: ...And Nothing but the Truth
  • Author(s): Lonnie Pacelli
  • Release date: January 2006
  • Publisher(s): Pearson
  • ISBN: 9780131873711