Mastering Communication Book

	Preface to the fourth edition	x
	Introduction	xii
	Acknowledgements	xiv
1	The process of communication	1
1.1	The objectives of communication	1
1.2	The meaning of words	2
1.3	Non-verbal communication	2
1.4	The context or situation	3
1.5	Barriers to communication	4
1.6	Why? Who? Where? When? What? How?	6
1.7	Planning the message	8
	Summary--how to communicate	10
2	Speaking effectively	11
2.1	Basic speaking skills	12
2.2	Qualities to aim for when speaking	20
	Summary--good speaking	20
3	Listening	21
3.1	Listening--the neglected skill	21
3.2	Reasons for improving listening	23
3.3	Are you a good listener?	24
3.4	Ten aids to good listening	26
	Summary--good listening	29
4	Human Interaction and non-verbal communication	30
4.1	Metacommunication and paralanguage	30
4.2	The language of silence	32
4.3	The language of time	32
4.4	Body language or kinesics	34
4.5	The underlying psychology: NLP, EI and TA	45
4.6	Conflict between verbal and non-verbal communication	47
	Summary--the importance of paralanguage in human interaction	48
5	Talking on the telephone	50
5.1	Telephone problems	51
5.2	Basic telephone rules	53
5.3	Switchboard operators	55
5.4	Making a call	56
5.5	Gathering information by telephone	57
5.6	Answering the telephone	58
5.7	Voicemail	61
5.8	Mobile phone manners	62
	Summary--good telephoning	65
6	Interviewing	66
6.1	Interviewing weaknesses	66
6.2	What is an interview?	68
6.3	The purposes of the interview	68
6.4	Types of interview information	69
6.5	How to plan an interview	70
6.6	Structuring the interview	72
6.7	How to question and probe	74
	Summary--Interviewing	82
7	Being interviewed for a job	85
7.1	Preparing--the organisation	85
7.2	Preparing--know yourself	90
7.3	At the interview	93
7.4	Tips to remember	96
	Summary--being interviewed for a job	97
8	Communicating in groups	98
8.1	Advantages of groups	99
8.2	Disadvantages of groups	102
8.3	Factors affecting group effectiveness	104
	Summary--making groups and committees work	117
9	Running and taking part in meetings	119
9.1	Chairing meetings	119
9.2	Decision-making methods	121
9.3	Responsibilities of participants	122
9.4	Duties of officers and members	124
9.5	The agenda	125
9.6	The minutes	128
9.7	Videoconferencing and audioconferencing	131
9.8	Formal procedure	132
10	Giving a talk	137
10.1	Techniques of public speaking	139
10.2	Preparation	140
10.3	Developing the material	143
10.4	Opening the talk	145
10.5	Closing the talk	147
10.6	Visual aids	149
10.7	Use of notes	150
10.8	Practising the talk	151
10.9	Room and platform layout	151
10.10	Delivery of the talk	152
	Summary--being a good speaker	152
11	Using visual aids	153
11.1	General principles	154
11.2	Whiteboards	155
11.3	Flip charts	156
11.4	Build-up visuals	157
11.5	Physical objects	158
11.6	Models and experiments	159
11.7	Overhead projector	161
11.8	Data projector	163
11.9	Slide projector	164
11.10	Videos	165
11.11	Closed circuit television and video	166
11.12	Points to remember about visual aids	167
11.13	Video and DVD hire and purchase	169
	Summary--being in control of visual aids	169
12	Faster reading	171
12.1	How do you read?	173
12.2	The physical process of reading	175
12.3	Ways of increasing your vocabulary	178
	Summary--faster reading	180
13	Better reading	181
13.1	Determine reading priorities	181
13.2	Scanning	182
13.3	Skimming	184
13.4	SQ3R method of reading	189
	Summary--better reading	191
14	Writing business letters	195
14.1	Why good letter-writing matters	195
14.2	Backing up the phone call or meeting	197
14.3	Planning a letter	197
14.4	Layout and style	204
14.5	The structure of a letter	208
14.6	Dictating	215
14.7	Standard letters	218
	Summary--writing business letters	218
15	Applying for a job	219
15.1	What sort of job do you want?	220
15.2	What is available and what are they looking for?	223
15.3	The application itself	227
15.4	Job-hunting on the Internet	240
	Summary--applying for a job	242
16	Writing reports	244
16.1	What is a report?	245
16.2	Types of report	246
16.3	Essentials of a good report	246
16.4	What is the purpose of the report?	247
16.5	Fundamental structure	248
16.6	Format, layout, headings and numbering	249
16.7	Long formal reports	255
16.8	House style	259
16.9	How to get started	262
16.10	Setting your objective	262
16.11	Researching and assembling the material	265
16.12	Organising the material and planning the report	267
16.13	Writing the first draft	269
16.14	Editing the report	270
16.15	Producing the report	271
	Summary--report writing	276
17	Memos, messages, forms & questionnaires	278
17.1	Memos	279
17.2	E-mail	281
17.3	Fax	284
17.4	Postcards and reply cards	286
17.5	Text messaging	287
17.6	Forms and questionnaires	290
	Summary--other writing tasks	293
18	Visual communication	295
18.1	When to use charts and graphs	295
18.2	Presentation of statistical data	299
18.3	Presenting continuous information	301
18.4	Presenting discrete or non-continuous information	306
18.5	Presenting non-statistical information effectively	319
19	Getting to grips with grammar	330
19.1	Why does grammar matter?	330
19.2	What is grammar?	331
19.3	How good is your English?	333
19.4	The parts of speech in brief	336
19.5	The framework of English	339
19.6	The architecture of the sentence	340
20	Common problems with English	345
20.1	Subject-verb agreement	345
20.2	Problems with verbs	349
20.3	Problems with adjectives	361
20.4	Problems with adverbs	365
20.5	Problems with pronouns	368
20.6	Problems with prepositions and conjunctions	376
20.7	Problems with ellipsis	383
20.8	Problems with negatives	384
20.9	Revision of grammar	385
	Appendices	387
A	Punctuation made easy	387
B	Using capitals	394
C	Using numbers	395
D	Business cliches or 'commercialese'	397
E	Commonly misused and confused words	399
F	Ten (simple?) rules of spelling	402
G	Commonly misspelled words	404
H	Tips on modern business style	406
I	Differences between men and women communicating	408
	A final word	411
	Bibliography	412
	Answers to exercises	414
	Index	432