Why Didn'T You Say That In The First Place: How To Be Understood At Work (Paper Edition)

Ever get the feeling that your coworkers don't understand you?
Misunderstanding through poor communication is rampant in the workplace, yet most workers just shrug their shoulders and accept misunderstanding as a fact of life. In Why Didn't You Say that in the First Place?, the author offers a path to clear communication by demonstrating how we can always reach full mutual understanding with others by using the power of plain talk in a systematic way.

You'll discover:

• Why nobody understands you
• Why misunderstanding is normal
• The power of strategic talk
• Communicating when understanding is critical

It is full of anecdotes, illustrations, sample conversations, and checklists to show readers how misunderstandings can be prevented in everyday settings.

RICHARD HEYMAN is a specialist in the use of language in everyday life, a professor at the University of Calgary, and president of Richard Heyman Associates, a business communications consulting company. He lives in Calgary, Canada.

Part One: Why Nobody Understands You.

1. For Your Ears Only: Why Misunderstanding Is Normal.

2. Beyond Mind Reading: The Power of Strategic Talk.

Part Two: How You Can Increase the Odds in Your Favor.

3. When Words Are Deeds: Talk That Makes Work Happen.

4. Hearing Is Believing: Talk and the Written Word.

5. Differences That Make a Difference: Talking Across Stereotypes.

Part Three: What Your Organization Can Do to Help.

6. Building a Culture That Supports Understanding.

7. Communicating When Understanding Is Critical.

8. Creating a New Accountability.