Mastering communication / Nicky Stanton.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This book is for anyone wanting to improve their communication skills and knowledge of how communication works in organizations. It provides guidance on telephoning and text messaging, interviewing, meetings, giving presentations, speaking in public, letter and report writing, emailing and netiquette, visual and non-verbal communication. There are plenty of activities and exercises throughout so that readers can check their progress. The fourth edition of this best-selling book has been revised to bring it fully up-to-date, taking into account the latest developments in communication and technology. It also includes new material on the ways in which human interactions can be improved by an awareness of different social psychology approaches.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

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

Author notes provided by Syndetics