Communicating at Work

by Anthony J. Alessandra

In today's competitive workplace, your ability to communicate is your most important business skill. This book will help you to immediately improve your business communication. Using real life examples, it offers practical, easy-to-use instruction in writing reports, making memorable presentations and leading productive meetings. It also introduces key telephone skills, interpreting body language and personal communication styles - and teaches critical listening and questioning skills to get ahead and succeed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adult

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used the Kindle edition in my Leadership Strategic Communication grad class. It was fairly readable, but had some dry spots. I found the communication models the best takeaway from the book.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was in 4th grade there was a kid who was forever stealing my jokes (as if I hadn't stolen them myself). I'd come to class, tell a joke, and the first thing I know, he's on the playground passing them off as his own! Drove me nuts. I feel like Alessandra may be a victim of the same thing. There was little new information in Communicating At Work. It could be that subsequent communication books stole his ideas. I didn't come away with much.


Notes:

The very definition of managing is to get things done through other people

Almost every problem, every conflict, every mistake, and every misunderstanding has it its most basic level a communication problem

Chapter 1: Future Perfect Communication

The words used are the least important element in communication. Personal note: Really?

If he's interested in facts and figures and you're giving him emotional high drama, you're transmitting on the wrong frequency

Chapter 2: Personal Communication Styles

In ancient Greece, the physician Hippocrates studied the human psyche as well as the body and deliver his concept of four temperaments, choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine, and melancholy

Carl Jung: intuitor, thinker, feeler, sensor

Diagnostic
* Inderectness vs. Directness: tendency to move forward or act outwardly when influencing others
* Supporting vs. controlling: are people or tasks their priority?

1. Socializer,
2. Director,
3. Thinker,
4. Relater

Chapter 3: The Four Syles

Chapter 5: Active LIstening

Personal note: I like one thing Alessandra suggests. Poor communication isn’t necessarily a matter of skill, but rather not taking the audience profile into account

Funnel technique: start by asking broad, general questions, and then narrow your questions as you get specifics

Chapter 7: Making sure with Feedback

Chapter 8: Conflict Resolution

Chapter 9: Projecting a Powerful Image

The total image you project to others consider status of many things: first impressions, depth of your knowledge, breadh of your knowledge, enthusiasm

Chapter 10: The Power of Nonverbal Communication

Chapter 11: It's How you Say it

Chapter 12: Communicating through

Chapter 13: How Your use of Time Talks

Chapter 14: Presentation Power

Personal note: much of the advice is redundant and obviously. Not many notes because not many insights.

Chapter 17: Putting Yourself ahead of the Pack

Whenever possible, talk to people answer save your written communication s for complex issues requesting extensive explanation or documentation

Chapter 18: It's a Matter of Style

[Rusty N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great detail. Maybe overly detailed in many parts. Very matter of fact. Not many analogies or good illustrations. Was not very exciting, but had a lot of good information.

Has a portion on spatial arrangements, proxiemics, (where to sit at a meeting table and how that affects the social dynamics) that was very interesting.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book as part of an orientation for a new position. I found it to be very practical, common sense advice.

[Allison Parker · Rating 1 out of 5]

For my class, Communication for Leadership.