A book about communication with something to say

The older I get, the more impressed I am that anyone actually gets a book written and published. But after that initial response, I can get discouraged by business books that boil down to the obvious, cloaked in a clever catch-phrase. So when a business book actually offers helpful input, it stands out. 

One that stood out for me recently was: The Communication Catalyst; The Fast (but not Stupid) Track to Value for Customers, Investors, and Employees by Mickey Connolly and Richard Rianoshek, Ph.D.

You might assume a business book on communication would focus on strategy for written communications. But what is interesting about The Communication Catalyst is that the focus is conversation. Most of us have been through countless meetings that were ad hoc in terms of purpose, attended by people who probably didn’t need to be there and that felt like they could have been compressed into a fraction of the time. In fact, conversations in business meetings, in any business setting, telephone calls or emails, are often far less productive than they could be. 

The Communication Catalyst illuminates the mechanics of those conversations so that they can be made more effective. By focusing on purpose and an understanding of how our approaches to, and styles of, conversation influence our effectiveness, there is the opportunity to improve. 

The book is an offshoot of a collection of management consulting programs offered by Colorado-based Conversant. They are management consultants who have developed a highly useful body of knowledge. But if taking the time to partake of their programs isn’t on the agenda, The Communication Catalyst is worth reading to tap into an influential resource. 

The Communication Catalyst (2002) is published by Dearborn Trade Publishing.