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The Art of Connecting

How to Overcome Differences, Build Rapport, and Communicate Effectively with Anyone

Claire Raines and Lara Ewing

AMACOM, 2006

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After studying people who have a great ability to connect with others, authors Claire Raines and Lara Ewing analyzed what you need to do to become a "people person." They present easy-to-follow guidelines. The most crucial tip is that you can find a point of similarity with anyone, no matter how different he or she seems from you, if you believe you can make a connection. First, learn to listen carefully and, then, once you uncover that similarity, you can build on it to communicate. Raines and Ewing fill their book with anecdotes from actual experience, and lots of ideas for fostering communication and overcoming differences. getAbstract recommends this manual to managers of diverse groups and others who want to learn to resolve conflicts.

Summary

Three Great Communicators

Making connections among individuals is essential to smooth business operations. Some leaders spend their lives honing their ability to communicate well with others. Usually they are genuinely interested in other people, and believe they can learn a lot by minimizing differences and concentrating on points of similarity. Listening is critical. When you are really listening to someone, you gain his or her full attention in return. The following four people, who work in different fields, are all exemplary communicators:

Terry Gross

Gross hosts the National Public Radio show Fresh Air. She conducts interviews with disparate people from all walks of life: religious leaders, politicians, celebrities and experts. Her sincere interest in what others have to say makes her a great interviewer. She enters each encounter with curiosity and the active expectation that she will learn from her guests.

To prepare for her interviews, Gross develops a set of questions based on her deep respect for her guests, as though she has seen life from their viewpoints. However, she never writes her questions out in detail, beginning instead with...

About the Authors

Claire Raines has written five books on bridging generational divides among workers, including Generations at Work. Lara Ewing wrote the audio book NLP Applications in Business. Both authors are consultants and workshop leaders.

The Art of Connecting

How to Overcome Differences, Build Rapport, and Communicate Effectively with Anyone

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Three Great Communicators

Terry Gross

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