Includes bibliographical references (p. [347]-348) and index

Contents; Introduction; Basic Skills; Listening; Real Vs. Pseudo Listening; Blocks to Listening; Assessing Your Listening Blocks; Four Steps to Effective Listening; Total Listening; Listening for Couples; Self-Disclosure; Rewards of Self-Disclosure; Blocks to Self-Disclosure; Optimal Levels of Self-Disclosure; Assessing Your Self-Disclosure; Practice in Self-Disclosure; Expressing; The Four Kinds of Expression; Whole Messages; Contaminated Messages; Preparing Your Message; Practicing Whole Messages; Rules for Effective Expression; Advanced Skills; Body Language; Body Movements.

Spatial RelationshipsParalanguage and Metamessages; The Elements of Paralanguage; Changing Your Paralanguage; Metamessages; Coping with Metamessages; Hidden Agendas; The Eight Agendas; Purpose of the Agendas; Transactional Analysis; Parent, Child, and Adult Messages; Analyzing Your Communications; Kinds of Transactions; Keeping Your Communications Clean; Clarifying Language; Understanding a Model; Challenging the Limits of a Model; Challenging Distortions in a Model; Some Final Clarifications; Conflict Skills; Assertiveness Training; Your Legitimate Rights; Three Communication Styles.

Identifying Communication StylesYour Assertiveness Goals; Assertive Expression; Assertive Listening; Combining Assertive Expression and Listening; Responding to Criticism; Special Assertive Strategies; Assertiveness Skills Practice; Fair Fighting; Unfair Fighting; Identifying Unfair Fighting Styles; Fair Fighting; Fair Fight Rules; Your Script for Change; Validation Strategies; What Is Validation?; Why Does Validation Work?; What Validation Is Not; Components of Validation; Successful Validating Strategies; The Power of Validation; Negotiation; Four Stages of Negotiation.

Dealing with ConflictRules of Principled Negotiation; When the Going Gets Tough; Social Skills; Prejudgment; Prejudgment Traps; Stereotypes; Approval and Disapproval in Prejudgment; Parataxic Distortions; Perpetuating Illusions; Clarifying First Impressions; Making Contact; Fear of Strangers; Guidelines for Making Contact; The Art of Conversation; Putting It All Together; Family Skills; Couples Skills; What Makes a Good Relationship?; Schemas; Couples Systems; Keeping Your Relationship Strong; Communicating with Children; Listening; Expressing; Joint Problem Solving; When to Let Go.

When You Have to Say NoThe Point Is…; Family Communications; Family Communication Disorders; Family Pathology; Family Systems; How to Keep Family Communications Healthy; Public Skills; Influencing Others; Ineffective Strategies for Influencing Change; Effective Strategies for Influencing Others; Your Plan for Influencing Change; Lisa's Plan for Influencing Change; Public Speaking; Defining Your Purpose; Outlining the Subject; Presentation; Organization; Audience Analysis; Style; Supporting Materials; The Outline; Delivery; Dealing with Stage Fright; Interviewing; Clarifying What You Want.

If You Are the Interviewer.

The classic, best-selling communication skills book, Messages, helps readers build their communication skills in all areas of life. This guide helps readers become adept in active listening, reading body language, identifying communication styles, conflict resolution, public speaking, and more

Online-Ausg. Palo Alto, Calif ebrary 2009 Electronic reproduction; Available via World Wide Web |2009||||||||||