Janis Fischer Chan - Communication Skills for Managers

Communication Skills for Managers

Fifth Edition

Fifth Edition

Janis Fisher Chan

2002 American Management Association. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Communication Skills for Managers, Fifth Edition, is designed for new and experienced managers and others who want to improve their ability to communicate on the job. Using real-life scenarios and interactive exercises, this course introduces practical concepts and proven techniques that will help you communicate more effectively with others, deliver your message successfully to a group, and write clearly and persuasively. You will learn the key communication skills: how to listen, deliver your messages clearly, and ask questions. The course also showcases techniques for helping others learn new skills and tasks, making successful presentations, and writing business documents that meet your specific standards. Assessments, exercises, and a Communication Skills Log give you the opportunity to identify your strengths and weaknesses, practice new skills, and apply what youve learned to your own business situation.

Janis Fisher Chan, a writer, editor, trainer, and instructional designer for more than 20 years, specializes in helping people communicate clearly. As co-owner of a successful training company, she developed and conducted customized workshops on topics that included business writing, interpersonal communication, performance management, meeting planning, and making presentations. She is currently working as a freelance instructional designer, writer, and editor. This is her third self-study course for the American Management Association: The others are Managing Your Priorities and Making Successful Presentations. She is also the co-author of five business writing books, available through www.writeitwell.com . Her E-mail address is janisdee@attbi.com .

The publisher would like to thank the following people for their review of the manuscript of this course:

Jim Dezieck, Organizational Development Consultant, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Connie Zimmerman, Lecturer, Department of Business Communication, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

This course consists of text material for you to read and three types of activities (the pre- and post-test, in-text exercises, and end-of-chapter review questions) for you to complete. These activities are designed to reinforce the concepts introduced in the text portion of the course and to enable you to evaluate your progress.

Both a pre-test and post-test are included in this course. Take the pre-test before you study any of the course material to determine your existing knowledge of the subject matter. Submit one of the scannable answer forms enclosed with this course for grading. On return of the graded pre-test, complete the course material. Take the post-test after you have completed all the course material. By comparing results of the pre-test and the post-test, you can measure how effective the course has been for you.

To have your pre-test and post-test graded, please mail your answer forms to:

Educational Services

American Management Association

P.O. Box 133

Florida, NY 10921

All tests are reviewed thoroughly by our instructors and will be returned to you promptly.

.

The most important component of this course is the text, where the concepts and methods are presented. Reading each chapter twice will increase the likelihood of your understanding the text fully.

We recommend that you work on this course in a systematic way. Reading the text and working through the exercises at a regular and steady pace will help ensure that you get the most out of this course and retain what you have learned.

In your first reading, concentrate on getting an overview of the chapter content. Read the learning objectives at the beginning of the chapter first. They will act as guidelines to the major topics of the chapter and identify the skills you should master as you study the text. As you read the chapter, pay attention to the headings and subheadings. Find the general theme of each section and see how that theme relates to others. Dont let yourself get bogged down with details during the first reading; simply concentrate on understanding and remembering the major themes.

In your second reading, look for the details that underlie the themes. Read the entire chapter carefully and methodically, underlining key points, working out the details of examples, and making marginal notes as you go. Complete the activities.

Interspersed with the text of each chapter you will find a series of activities. These can take a variety of forms, including essays, short-answer quizzes, or charts and questionnaires. Completing the activities will enable you to try out new ideas, practice and improve new skills, and test your understanding of the course content.

After reading a chapter and before going on to the next chapter, work through the Review Questions. Answering the questions and comparing your answers to those given will help you to grasp the major ideas of that chapter. If you perform these self-check exercises consistently, you will develop a framework in which to place material presented in later chapters.

The American Management Association will continue to grade examinations and tests for one year after the courses out-of-print date.

If you have questions regarding the tests, the grading, or the course itself, call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215 or send an e-mail to ed_svc@amanet.org.

INSTRUCTIONS: Record your answers on one of the scannable answer forms enclosed with this course. Please follow the directions on the form carefully. Be sure to keep a copy of the completed answer forms for your records. No photocopies will be graded. When completed, mail your answer form to:

American Management Association
Educational Services
P.O. Box 359
Natick, MA 01760

Which is an open-ended question?

(a) Do you think we will reach our sales goals this year?

(b) Can you finish the report by next Tuesday?

(c) What can you tell me about your experience?

(d) Have you ever facilitated a meeting?

When you want to influence someone:

(a) be prepared with specifics to support and illustrate your position.

(b) use a forceful tone so the person knows you are serious.

(c) make sure the person knows how you will benefit.

(d) use polite language so the person will not be offended.

Which behavior best demonstrates that someone is listening?