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Effective Communication Skills  By  cover art

Effective Communication Skills

By: Dalton Kehoe,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Dalton Kehoe
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Publisher's summary

From asking a waiter for an unusual substitution to urging a service manager to get your car finished sooner to swaying your significant other toward a particular film or show, many of the decisions you make are decided by talking. And no matter why you engage in face-to-face talk, there's no way to insulate yourself from the dangers of miscommunication.

These 24 mind-opening lectures are your chance to learn more about how you communicate verbally, the common problems you can encounter in doing so, and how you can improve your own effectiveness - especially by overcoming the psychological and biological hard-wiring that too often gets in the way.

Professor Kehoe offers a trove of practical techniques for successful communication, from everyday interactions in the home or workplace to managing your reactions and speaking effectively in conflict- and tension-laden situations.

You'll learn how early cultural learning and deeply learned patterns of reaction in our unconscious mind enhance or undermine your ability to communicate effectively; how your sense of self develops in everyday talk during your childhood; the specific styles of talking you use in most situations; and the basic techniques of perhaps the most important and neglected aspect of human conversation, the art of active listening.

When you consider the complexities of conversation, it's a wonder that things ever work out as well as they do. But with the knowledge, strategies, and skills offered by this course, that hard-to-find effectiveness will be only a conversation away.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2011 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2011 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Effective Communication Skills

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Interesting Lectures with a Misleading Description

The lectures are well rehearsed, excellently paced, and fascinating.
However, the topic of the lectures does not match the product's description.

The lectures are a combination of popular psychology theory and advice on conflict resolution, with a heavy emphasis on marital disputes. The scientific content is on the light side.

There is nothing on communicating with strangers or in the workplace.

That being said, the lectures are very interesting and well delivered. If you purchase this audiobook, you will likely be entertained and get a cursory education on a topic which is not discussed in the product description.

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362 people found this helpful

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Points Not Effectively Communicated

There were some helpful tips here and there but the course plodded with lots of platitudinizing. I felt like he could've effectively communicated everything he wanted to in 3 hours or less.

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100 people found this helpful

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Not what I expected and that made it great

Here is was expecting a simple book that would tell me how to communicate with people and the usual babble. Instead the author does a wonderful job going back to our early childhood where he explains why we communicate the way we do. Then he brings with forward and shows how we are taught as children affects us as adults. Really this is a masterful piece of work! Here you will learn how your early lessons in communication will affect your self esteem, confidence and entire life! If you tie this in with the book Redefining Reality by The Great Courses Professor Steven Fimbel you really have a great understanding of how we think, act and do along with why! I would also recommend Caroline Myss book Self Esteem and the Four Agreements to give you a total picture!

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63 people found this helpful

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Psychology of communication

Not quite what I expected, but good information. Should have been titled Psycology of Communication.

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Not the best Great Course

The Professor provides a lot of background and detail on communications, but I was left a little disappointed. The entire trust of his presentation is to give one the tools for more effective communication, but I did not get anything new. What was missing was how to communicate with those who are unwilling to follow the professor's best practices.

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The ONE Communication Program You Want

I write about Personal Communication (Communicate Clearly NOW!). I also teach it and consult on the topic.
Dr Kehoe hits the nail on the head. Everything you need and want he offers in this Great Courses audio course.
One minor criticism I direct toward our educational system. University courses must fit into the 12-13 week semester format. As a result some subjects get cut short or extended with unnecessary material. This course has some slightly interesting, but not totally relevant and really unnecessary material. That does not detract from the blockbuster content Dr. Kehoe presents. Listen to this over and over until it sinks in. You will grow to your full potential as a result.

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Fantastic lecture

I thought this started off a little slow but it quickly became very interesting and informative. I have always struggled with the ability to communicate effectively, especially when it involves expressing what I am upset about. It has caused problems in my relationships with family and at work. This book offers great advice for how to overcome this problems and how to approach a difficult situation to get a better response. I've started practicing the things I've learned from this lecture and can already see the huge impact it can have on my relationships. I highly recommend this book for anyone that struggles with expressing themselves positively and communicating effectively.

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Must read! Personal and professional benefits!

Would you consider the audio edition of Effective Communication Skills to be better than the print version?

??? Never had the print version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Effective Communication Skills?

This was a marathon length production, so a moment in such a context is more like a chapter in a book. I really liked the way he described the way in which each of us, from infancy onward, builds our frame of reference which filters everything we see and hear. Therefore, two people exchanging ideas and information with each other can walk away with completely different understandings about what just happened.

Have you listened to any of Professor Dalton Kehoe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this was the first one.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes if I had that kind of time!

Any additional comments?

Learning and applying the concepts presented here will change your life - personally and professionally - for the better. We all incorrectly believe that we speak our language well enough to be completely understood. If we are willing to question that belief, and explore ways to improve, we can solve persistent problems in all areas of our lives.

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Not what I was looking for, but glad I found it

I thought I was getting a course on public speaking (apparently I did not read the course description.) What I got was a very interesting course on how people communicate and form relationships. As a supervisor, I was able to use some of Professor Kehoe's suggestions on talking to employees immediately. I was very annoyed with a perpetually underperforming employee. I had asked him to do something and he forgot. I was about to demand an explanation, but I remembered the chapter I had just listened to. Did I provide a clear list of instructions and a sense of why this was important? Yes on the instructions, no on the importance. Surely he MUST know why it was important! But, maybe, not.

I spoke calmly to "B", explained why the task was important, asked if there was any way I could help him accomplish it by the end of the day, suggested he call the client to find out what she wanted, and (almost miraculously) the problem was solved by the end of the day.

I will keep these lessons in mind, although I will probably need to listen again to pick up more tips.

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A Lot of Truth

Any additional comments?

If you are looking to boost some soft skills, this lecture is alright for it, but I would first recommend Dale Carnegie "How to Win Friend and Influence People." This lecture series has great advice on situational events, and how to approach it. If you haven't experienced Mr.Carnegie's book, stop right now and go get that book.

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