The Communication Book: 44 Ideas for Better Conversations Every Day Hardcover – 5 April 2018

Theory Of Rhetoric

Learn six rhetorical rules:

1. Anaphora: repetition of a word or phrase, typical in political speeches: ‘I demand justice. I demand understanding. I demand . . .’

2. Inversion: reversing the usual word order, such as in ‘Infinite is his sorrow’ (instead of ‘His sorrow is infinite’).

3. Irony: saying one thing when you really mean the opposite, e.g. ‘I really enjoyed being stuck in that traffic jam.’

4. Rhetorical questions: questions that make a statement, e.g. ‘Would you like shiny, glossy hair?’

5. Analogies (comparisons): ‘He stood there like a dying duck in a thunderstorm’ (banal) or ‘He was

as confused as a comma at the end of a sentence’ (creative).

6. Antithesis: a contrasting thought to produce tension,

e.g. ‘He was beautiful, strong and . . . unhappy.’

Principled Negotiation

Stick to three principles:

1. Thing, not person: do not be distracted by whether you like the other person or not.

2. Similarities, not differences: don’t think: I am in the weaker [or stronger] negotiating position. Ask yourself: What does the other person need from me? Do we have common interests?

3. Good enough, not perfect: you should not be aiming for the maximum possible. Because perfection is like the unicorn: it’s rumoured to exist, but nobody has ever seen it. So, alongside your desired outcome to the negotiation, have a Plan B prepared before negotiations even start. This is called the BATNA Principle (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement). It offers the best alternative when an agreement can’t be reached.

When We Think Of The Best Arguments

Four tricks to avoid being nervous:

1. Expose yourself repeatedly to the same situation (so‑called

‘practice under pressure’), whereby the situation loses its uniqueness.

2. Wait five seconds before answering – your answer

might not be any cleverer, but it comes across as weightier.

3. Not so easy: imagine that you’re not in an interview

but sitting in the pub with friends.

4. Keep in mind that although being quick-witted can be impressive in an interview, it is seldom required in most jobs.

Fake News

How to identify fake news:

Who? by answering ‘who’ said it, we divert our attention to the sender. Lasswell called this ‘control analysis’: who is talking? What is their aim? Who are their allies?

What?: by looking at ‘what’ is being said, we give attention to the actual message (the ‘content

analysis’) – to identify the aim behind the message we can, for example, ask: how are women or people of colour represented? What does the phrasing imply?

Which?: by answering the ‘which channel’ question we make a ‘ media-analysis’: why are they using this channel? How can they afford it? Who paid for it?

To Whom?: the ‘audience analysis’ can, for example,

reveal something about the aim of the sender: why are they talking specifically to these people?

With What Effect?: with the ‘effect analysis’ we ask: how did the audience react? What does this tell us about the sender?