Closing the Communication Gap An Effective Method for Achieving Desired Results

Good Talk, More Money
Introduction
Poor-Quality Communication
     Miscommunication
     Noncommunication
     Misunderstanding
     Withholding Information
Quality Communication
Communication and Language
Quality Relationships
Virtues, Integrity, and Trust
Lifelong Learning
Summary
References

What Happens When Two People Talk—At Work?
The Basic Scoop on the Communication Loop
     Meet the Loop
     An Autopsy of the Loop
     The Loop Has Soul
     The Loop Has Issues
     The Loop Has Culture
The Formal Loop and Its Shadow
     Get Loopy with a Network of Communication Loops
Networks of Loops Loop in Different Directions
     Random Communication
     Downward Communication
     Upward Communication
     Lateral Communication
The Complexity of Formal Networks of Communication Loops
Shadow Loops
     How to Use the Informal Communication
     Network, Also Known as the Shadow Loop
Summary
Reference

How Do You Talk to Your Boss?
Introduction
Nothing to Fear But Fear
     The Downside of Fear
     The Good Side of Fear
     Facing Fear
Plan the Whole Process
     Mission
     Vision
     Approach
     The Meeting
     Concluding the Meeting
     Execute the Plan
     Follow-up to the Meeting with Your Boss
Summary

How Do You Talk to Your Employees?
Introduction
Create an Environment of Openness and Trust by First Being a Listener
     Tell Them Why
     Do It with a Smile
     Adopt a New Philosophy about Organizations and Employees
     Adopt a New Philosophy about Management
     Listen with Your Eyes as Well as Your Ears
     Listen to the Person and Not Just the Employee
     Listen to the Behavior over a Period of Time
     Listen to Themes, to Metaphors, and to What Is Conspicuously Not Discussed
     Listen to Learn
Create an Environment of Openness and Trust by Becoming an Effective Communicator
     Talk to Your Employees
          One on One
          In a Group
     Write to Your Employees
          Newsletters
          Town Meetings
          Memos
          E-mails, Blogs, and a Tip of the Hat to Texting
Understand Your Employees
     Personality Type of Each Employee
     Variables Style Management
     Five-Way Communication
     Communication Channels
     Body Language
Summary
References

How Do I Hear What My Teammates Are Really Saying?
Introduction
Rugged Individualism Dies with the Team
     What Makes a Standout Leader?
     The Team Takes Precedence over the Individual
     Maturity Is Imperative for Good Teamwork
     The Ancients Were Right
          Know Thyself
          Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You
Use the Feedback Loop
     Listen to Your Teammate
     Repeat Back
     Listen to the Feedback
     Repeat the Feedback Loop for a Second Time
     Use the Feedback Loop with Verbal and Written Team Communication
Discuss Feelings and Body Language
     Listening Filters
     The Johari Window
     Three Rules in Dealing with Emotions in a Team Setting
Use the Shadow Communication Loop to Further the Team Mission
     Talking at the Water Cooler
     Use the Shadow Loop to Further the Team’s Progress
Hearing Is Nested in a Relationship with Four Stages
     Developing Role Clarity: Developing Expectations and Gathering Information
     Commitment to the Relationship of Boss/Member of Staff
     Stability and Productivity for a Period of Time
     Experiencing a Pinch in the Relationship
     Dealing with the Pinches in the Relationship Is Crucial
     Dealing with Them Immediately and Effectively Maintains Healthy Relationships
     Ignoring Pinches in Relationships Leads to Disruption and Conflict
          Problems to Solve
          Disagreement and Efforts to Save Face
          Contest Stage and Efforts to Win
          Fight/Flight Stage: Eliminate or Harm the Character of the Other Side
          Holy War: The Object Is to Destroy
Restoring a Relationship
     Ennui: Settling for the Status Quo and Limbo
     Mute Termination: Quit Job or Fire Employee or Staff Member
     Pretending to Fix the Relationship: Premature Reconciliation
     Unplanned Renegotiation of a Relationship under Extreme Stress
     Ending the Relationship
Summary
References

How Do I Hear What My Boss Is Really Saying?
Introduction
Learn to See the Nonverbal Message If You Want to Really Hear Your Boss
If Your Boss Believes in You, He or She Will Trust and Therefore Tell You More
     What the Boss Sees Determines What You Get
          Eye Contact (Oculesics)
          Posture and Movement (Kinesics)
          Dress and Appearance (Objectics)
          Gestures and Smile (Kinesics)
What the Boss Feels Determines What You Get
     Voice and Vocal Variety (Vocalics)
     Words and Nonwords (Verbal Technique and Chronemics)
     Boss Involvement (Objectics)
     Humor (Verbal Technique Using Kinesics, Vocalics, Chronemics)
What Is Neurolinguistic Programming?
Your Boss Will Tell You More When You Tune in to His Favorite NLP Channel
     Check Out Your Boss’s Predicates to Learn His or Her Channel
     Check Out Your Boss’s Eye Movements to Learn His or Her NLP Channel
     You Can Have Empathy, Sympathy, and Harmony with Your Boss
Check Your Boss’s Gestures, Signals, and Other Telltale Actions
     Proxemics: Give Your Boss His or Her Space
     Kinesics: Your Boss’s Body Movements Have Meaning 
     Palm
     Hand to Face
     Folded Arms
     Crossed Legs
     Eye Signals
The Boss’s Arrangement of Furniture
Summary
References

What Do I Say to a Difficult Person or a Bully?
Introduction
Do Not Avoid or Ignore Difficult People
     The Dictatorial Personality
     The Know-It-Alls
     The Passive–Aggressive Personality
     The Whiner
     The Downers
     The People Pleaser
     The Nonparticipant
Do Not "Pass the Buck"
Use a Procedure to Handle Difficult People
Use Group Learning Tools to Handle Difficult People
Use Early Warning Skills and Prevention to Handle Difficult People
Use Techniques to Handle Difficult People
Use Fairness and Consistency to Handle Difficult People
Use the Company’s Counseling and Mental Health Services to Handle Difficult People
Use Directness and Power to Handle Difficult People
Summary
References

How Do I Talk to My Customers?
Introduction
Treat All People with Respect
Without Customers, You Are Out of Business
Listen to Your Customers
     Look Them in the Eye
     Use Friendly Body Language
     Give Feedback and Ask for Feedback
     Do Not Escalate an Angry Situation
Use Personality Types to Determine Your Communication Strategy
Summary
References

How Do I Communicate to a Corporation from the Outside?
Introduction
Understand and Respect the Corporation’s Culture
Understand the Corporation’s Personality
Understand the Corporation’s Formal Communication System
Understand the Corporation’s Shadow Communication System
Understand the Corporation’s Environment and Its Pressure/Stress Points
Plan a Communication Strategy
Implement the Plan
Evaluate and Improve the Procedure
Summary
References

How Do I Communicate to a Corporation from the Inside?
Introduction
Introducing Systems Thinking and the Learning Organization
Understand that a Corporation Is a System
Understand that a System Has Characteristics
Understand that an Individual Within a System Must Develop a System Mindset
System Archetypes Have Been Identified that People
Who Communicate Within Systems Must Understand
How Do You Communicate Well in a System?
Summary
References

How Does a Corporation Use Social Media to Communicate?
Introduction
The Rapid Prominence of Social Media
The Characteristics of Social Media
The Tools of Social Media and Their Uses
The Steps to a Corporate Voice in the Social Media Arena
The Use of Social Media with High-Performance Teams
Summary
References

Social Communication in the Workplace
Introduction
Decide to Become Social
Become Objective about Yourself
Discover Your Reason for Being
Know When to Shut Up
Use Social Communication in a Group or Team Setting
Use Social Communication in Public Speaking
What Happened to Sid?
Summary
References

Interviewing Guidelines
Introduction
Planning the Interview
     Interview Guide Preparation
     Selecting the People to Interview
     Scheduling the Interview
     Location of the Interview
     Inviting the Interviewees
     What Is in It for the Interviewee?
Appearance in the Interview
Recording the Interview
The Interview
Interview Follow-up
Gaining Rapport during the Interview
Interview Techniques for Gaining Highest-Quality Information
     Omissions
     Unspecified Nouns
     Unspecific Verbs
     Words Implying Necessity
     Universal Quantifiers
     Rules
     Nominalizations
     Cause and Effect
After the Interview
Summary
Reference
Index

Biography

H. James Harrington, Robert Lewis