Chapter 5

Communicating

So far in this book, you’ve focused on thinking—the ways in which you explore, develop, and compose ideas. Communicating takes thinking to the next level. If thinking is composing, communicating is the concert. The ideas are no longer confined to your own head. You “play” them for someone else, who listens, thinks, and responds with new ideas—and maybe even cheers.

Communicating is a back-and-forth process that involves speaking and listening. When you speak, you are the performer, and when you listen, you are the audience. Then the roles reverse. To communicate well, you need to speak and listen effectively in a variety of situations. This chapter will show you how.

You will learn . . .

• Understanding the Communication Situation
• Listening Actively
• Speaking
• Overcoming Stage Fright
• Listening and Speaking Glossary