Communication Effectiveness

Flatter, more collaborative organizational structures, combined with the pressure to translate innovative ideas into action quickly, are increasing the need by technical professionals -- such as computer programmers, design specialists, engineers, and R&D scientists -- to expand their repertoire of communication and managerial skills. In this highly accessible and practical book, Harry Chambers offers a wealth of strategies and tactics for building these skills, to the benefit of individuals, teams, and companies. In his trademark shoot-from-the-hip style, Chambers identifies specific real-world challenges that technical professionals face in the workplace, and offers definitive guidelines for enhancing their communication skills -- from making presentations to giving and receiving criticism to navigating office politics. Featuring interviews with people in the trenches, as well as self-assessment tools and exercises, Effective Communication Skills will become a valued resource for technical professionals and their colleagues, trainers, and HR departments in all industries.

An ability to feel comfortable with ambiguity, with constant and increasingly demanding change, with a new, unique commitment to teams and teamwork, and with a willingness to stay customer-oriented: Sims sees these as the prime requisites for success in management today. Marshalling evidence from academic research and practical experience, Sims shows how researchers continue to redefine the roles and responsbilities of executives and their reports. His book provides not only the reasons why the new organization is what it is, but how to cope with it and succeed in it. A must-read for supervisors, managers, executives, and recent graduates who are ready to take their own places in the new world of business.

This volume helps readers move from a tactical public relations approach to a strategic management style based on skillful use of research and planning techniques. Combining the key components of effective management and campaign design, the authors introduce students and practitioners to the tools needed for developing and presenting comprehensive, effective, and accountable plans. Employing clear, straightforward language, they cover techniques for planning and research, as well as the effective application of communication theory. Key features of the volume include the synthesis of knowledge in public relations and communication, covering the critical areas needed for a strategic approach to public relations, and ample real-world examples, providing concrete applications of principles and theories. With its practical and accessible approach, Strategic Public Relations Management will serve well as a text for public relations management and communication campaigns courses, and is essential as a reference for professional practice.

This innovative text offers a new way of understanding public relations and other types of strategic communication. Following the pragmatic, in-depth approach of the first edition, this text presents a step-by-step unfolding of the planning process most often used in public relations practice. Drawing from his experience in professional practice and in the classroom, author Ronald D. Smith walks readers through the critical steps for the formative research, strategic and tactical planning, and plan evaluation phases of the process. Complete with clear explanations, relevant examples, and practical exercises, this text identifies and discusses the various decision points and options in the development of a communication program. Both classic public relations situations and current, timely events are presented in cases and examples throughout. This second edition offers, new examples and updates on research, and provides new discussions on critical topics, including stereotyping and statistics. As a classroom,text or a resource for professional practice, this volume provides a model that can be adapted to fit specific circumstances and used to improve effectiveness and creativity in communication planning. It serves as an accessible and understandable guide to field-tested procedures, offering practical insights that apply to public relations campaigns and case studies coursework.