Communicating Effectively for Dummies

Rating:
Summary: Good Reference but Keep your common sense
Review: In the last two years my company has been using Mr. Bounstein's advice to develop various management tools. "Communicating Effectively" has been a corner stone of new policies and everyone has been required to read the book. It is a decent one stop reference when you want to review your communication skills.

While supervisors and low level manages are working better, the Sr. Staff is utilizing the author's tools in a micromanagement-fest. For example, the review process has become a long drawn out process that requires several hours a week for the employee to revise their personal "assignment sheet". At the end of every three months you then have the employee summarize all their previous tasks for time, issues, schedule, etc. The quarterly review takes about 2 weeks with several cycles of review and rewriting with Sr. Staff members. Every detail is gone over and over. It is not uncommon to loose a week of productivity.

Read the book but maintain some common sense about how you apply the information.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Useful Book
Review: This is a great book with a wealth of very useful information. As a project manager, communicating is a large part of my job. This book will definitely make my life a lot easier -- especially the chapters on conflict resolution.

I wish I had bought this book 2 years ago, when it first came out -- I could have avoided a lot of headaches.

Rating:
Summary: Communications Made Simple
Review: With this book, Marty Brounstein breaks down communications into bite-size morsels that are easily digested. This book covers a broad range of territory from speaking clearly, using active listening techniques for better understanding, dealing with conflict, and appropriate uses for email, telephone and other forms of communication.

There's a tremendous amount of information, and I find myself going back to review the material often, especially when a meeting or conversation goes badly.

There is nothing here you can't find in other books, but it's all collected neatly under one cover, and the author presents the material in interesting ways that make it easier to absorb and put into practice.

Definitely a worthwhile read!