John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Brilliant Communication

John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Brilliant Communication

by John Adair
Released June 2011
Publisher(s): Capstone
ISBN: 9780857081773

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Book description

Everything You Need to Communicate Effectively. . .in an Instant

John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Brilliant Communication is all you need to master the skills of speaking, listening, writing and reading, from one of the world's best-known and moist sought-after authorities on leadership and management. Inside you will find:

  • 10 Greatest Ideas for Giving Presentations

  • 12 Greatest Ideas for Leading Effective Meetings

  • 5 Greatest Ideas for Delighting Your Customers

  • 24 Greatest Ideas for Effective Speaking

  • 9 Greatest Ideas for Clear Writing

...and 40 other fantastic ideas, tips and tricks that will give you the confidence, answers, and inspiration you need to succeed.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. 100 Greatest Ideas. . . in an instant!
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright page
  5. Author’s Note
  6. Preface
  7. PART ONE: Practical Communication
    1. Fourteen Greatest Ideas for Understanding Communication
      1. Idea 1: Four basic elements of communication
      2. Idea 2: Why is there so much misunderstanding?
      3. Idea 3: Communication is two way
      4. Idea 4: The model of conversation
      5. Idea 5: Reciprocity
      6. Idea 6: Nine forms of body language
      7. Idea 7: Communication and relationships
      8. Idea 8: Feedback
      9. Idea 9: Accentuate the positives
      10. Idea 10: The Communication Star
      11. Idea 11: Important, relevant or interesting
      12. Idea 12: Active listening
      13. Idea 13: The wonder of languages
      14. Idea 14: Seven rules for becoming a great communicator
      15. Follow-up test
  8. PART TWO: Effective Speaking and the Art of Listening
    1. Twenty-Four Greatest Ideas for Effective Speaking
      1. Idea 15: Six principles of effective speaking
      2. Idea 16: The importance of preparation
        1. General preparation
        2. Particular preparation
      3. Idea 17: A simple checklist for planning
      4. Idea 18: Be clear
      5. Idea 19: A master of clear speaking
      6. Idea 20: In praise of simplicity
      7. Idea 21: First, think through what you want to say
      8. Idea 22: Don’t overload your speech
        1. Keep it simple
      9. Idea 23: Use everyday language
      10. Idea 24: How the best leaders communicate
      11. Idea 25: Learn the common frame of reference
      12. Idea 26: Make it live for your audience
      13. Idea 27: Eight tips for using humour
      14. Idea 28: Truth through personality
      15. Idea 29: Leadership and communication
      16. Idea 30: Truth, the greatest communicator of all
      17. Idea 31: Avoid inaccuracies and exaggeration
        1. Avoid inaccuracies
        2. Don’t exaggerate
      18. Idea 32: The ethics of communication
      19. Idea 33: How to become natural
      20. Idea 34: Don’t worry about your voice or gestures
      21. Idea 35: Be concise
      22. Idea 36: Not a crowd but individuals
      23. Idea 37: How to handle the question-and-answer phase
      24. Idea 38: Checklist – Putting the principles of communication to work
    2. Six Greatest Ideas for the Art of Listening
      1. Idea 39: The disease of not listening
      2. Idea 40: Four symptoms of a poor listener
      3. Idea 41: Five key listening skills
      4. Idea 42: How to become an eager listener
      5. Idea 43: Reflective listening
        1. Ask questions
        2. Weigh your evidence
        3. Watch your assumptions
        4. Share your response
      6. Idea 44: Checklist – Are you a born listener yet?
      7. Follow-up test
  9. PART THREE: Develop Your Writing and Reading Skills
    1. Nine Greatest Ideas for Clear Writing
      1. Idea 45: Three elements of composition
        1. Structure and layout
        2. Content
        3. Style and tone
      2. Idea 46: Say it as clearly as you can
      3. Idea 47: On keeping it simple
      4. Idea 48: Do a first draft
      5. Idea 49: How to get the tone right
      6. Idea 50: The effective letter
      7. Idea 51: Keep it as brief as you can
      8. Idea 52: How to write an effective report
        1. Beginning
        2. Middle
        3. End
        4. Points to remember
      9. Idea 53: Checklist – How good is your report?
    2. Six Greatest Ideas for the Art of Reading
      1. Idea 54: The effective reader
      2. Idea 55: Some reading challenges
      3. Idea 56: Identify your reading priorities
      4. Idea 57: Develop the skill of scanning
      5. Idea 58: Guidelines for effective scanning
      6. Idea 59: Reading in depth
      7. Follow-up test
  10. PART FOUR: The Manager as Communicator
    1. Ten Greatest Ideas for Giving Presentations
      1. Idea 60: Practical presentation skills
      2. Idea 61: Profile the occasion
        1. The occasion
        2. The audience
        3. The location
      3. Idea 62: Checklist – occasion, audience, location
      4. Idea 63: Planning and writing your presentation
      5. Idea 64: Using visual aids
        1. Some general tips for using visual aids
      6. Idea 65: Rehearse with the others involved
      7. Idea 66: How best to deliver your presentation on the day
      8. Idea 67: How to calm your nerves
      9. Idea 68: Six tips to build your confidence
      10. Idea 69: Speaking without notes
    2. Twelve Greatest Ideas for Leading Effective Meetings
      1. Idea 70: Why meetings matter
      2. Idea 71: Five essentials for effective discussion
      3. Idea 72: Eight attributes of a good discussion leader
      4. Idea 73: Keeping the discussion on course
      5. Idea 74: Five types of meeting
      6. Idea 75: How to have productive meetings
      7. Idea 76: Four practical ways to prepare
      8. Idea 77: Checklist – Are you ready for take-off?
      9. Idea 78: Six rules for chairing a meeting
      10. Idea 79: The art of summarizing
      11. Idea 80: Always follow up with action points
      12. Idea 81: Becoming an effective chairperson
    3. Eight Greatest Ideas for Successful Interviews
      1. Idea 82: Four characteristics of interviews
      2. Idea 83: Structuring the interview
      3. Idea 84: The skill of asking the right question
      4. Idea 85: Setting objectives
      5. Idea 86: Ten guidelines for appraising performance
      6. Idea 87: Constructive appraisal in action
      7. Idea 88: How to give constructive criticism
        1. Offer criticisms in private and do not spread them about
        2. Avoid long or predictable preambles
        3. Offer only constructive criticism of actions that can be changed
        4. Don’t compare the person’s behaviour with that of others
        5. Keep it as simple and as accurate as possible
        6. Don’t talk about other people’s motives when making a complaint or criticism
        7. After making a criticism in good faith, don’t apologize for it
      8. Idea 89: How to take constructive criticism
        1. Be quiet while you are being criticized and make it clear that you are listening
        2. Under no condition find fault with the person who has just criticized you
        3. Don’t create the impression that the other person is destroying your spirit
        4. Don’t try to change the subject
        5. Don’t caricature the complaint
        6. Convey to the other person that you understand their constructive criticisms
      9. Follow-up test
  11. PART FIVE: Communicating in Organizations
    1. Six Greatest Ideas for Organizational Communication
      1. Idea 90: Organizations are communication systems
      2. Idea 91: What needs to be communicated
      3. Idea 92: Directions or flows of information
      4. Idea 93: The basic principle of organizational communication
      5. Idea 94: A listening leadership
      6. Idea 95: The art of inspiring while informing
    2. Five Greatest Ideas for Delighting Your Customers
      1. Idea 96: How to create a delighted customer
      2. Idea 97: The art of building up goodwill
      3. Idea 98: How to respond to customer complaints
      4. Idea 99: Don’t make promises unless you keep them
      5. Idea 100: The delighted customer
      6. Follow-up test
  12. About John Adair
  13. Index

Product information

  • Title: John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Brilliant Communication
  • Author(s): John Adair
  • Release date: June 2011
  • Publisher(s): Capstone
  • ISBN: 9780857081773