Re-Making Communication at Work

by Sostrin, Jesse

• ISBN13: 9781137337061
• ISBN10: 1137337060
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-11-07
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Almost 400 years ago philosophers John Locke and David Hume implicitly defined communication as a tool for the transmission of pure ideas, stating that the ideas themselves are what matter, not the way in which they are expressed and exchanged. Now known as the transmission model, this form of communication is still the foundation for academic courses in communication theory and practice, and is embedded in most business literature and education that address subjects related to workplace communication, organization behavior and culture, leadership, and conflict resolution. But what if this accepted model of communication was incomplete?

Re-Making Communication at Work argues that the transmission model of communication needs to be replaced by a new approach to communication. Sostrin challenges the status quo by exposing the most common myths that inaccurately define successful communication at work. These misperceptions are replaced by a set of core principles that deliver a clear mandate for re-making communication at work. Sostrin not only provides the theoretical foundation for this new approach, but he uses a straightforward model and exercises that demonstrate how managers, students, and consultants can powerfully improve relationships, decision-making, and collaboration with a few lines and circles.

Author Biography

Dr. Jesse D. Sostrin is an experienced leadership and organization development consultant and HR executive with international experience. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies as well as education, government, and non-profit sector organizations. Sostrin is also an experienced academic, teaching at UC Davis. He has a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems, and a MA in Organization Management & Development.

Table of Contents

Dedication
Prologue
PART I: FORGET EVERYTHING YOU LEARNED ABOUT COMMUNICATION AT WORK
1. The Changing World of Work
2. Communication: The Competitive Advantage of the 21st Century
3. Why Leaders Should Care About Re-Making Communication and Work
PART II: THE REAL STORY ABOUT COMMUNICATION AT WORK
4. Old Myths and New Principles
5. Taking a Communication Perspective
6. Workplace Culture: The Ecosystem of Our Patterns of Communication and Interaction
7. Organizational Leaders: Architects of Their Patterns of Communication and Interaction
PART III: A GUIDE FOR RE-MAKING PATTERNS OF COMMUNICATION AT WORK
8. Managing the Physics of Communication
9. Learning to See Patterns of Interaction
10. Common Communication Pitfalls and Unwanted Repetitive Patterns
11. The Top-10 Patterns of Communication Leaders Must Get Right
12. The SEAVA Process
13. Applying SEAVA to Common Pitfalls and Unwanted Repetitive Patterns
14. Using SEAVA One-on-One
15. Using SEAVA with Teams
PART IV: CREATING BIG CHANGE BY STARTING SMALL
16. Where to Begin with Yourself, Your Team and Your Organization
17. Guided Coaching: Seeing Patterns of Interaction, Noticing Critical Moments of Communication, and Operationalizing the Communication Perspective
18. Three-Minute Summary: How to Effectively Share the Book's Lessons with the 'Hard-to-Reach'