Communication Archives

The Advice Trap by Michael Stanier: Book Overview

What is The Advice Trap about? Why does Michael Bungay Stanier say giving advice isn’t the best form of leadership? In The Advice Trap, coaching expert Michael Bungay Stanier explains that advice-giving can lead to more problems than solutions. He encourages you, instead, to adopt a coaching style of leadership and learn to approach difficult conversations with questions instead of suggestions. Read on for a brief overview of The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier.

How to Stop Giving Unsolicited Advice at Work in 4 Steps

Why is advice-giving a common habit in the workplace? How can you stop giving unsolicited advice at work? In The Advice Trap, leadership coach Michael Bungay Stanier argues that when we use advice-driven leadership at work it creates an unproductive work environment and a lack of team confidence. To stop giving unsolicited advice, Stanier offers four steps to break the advice-giving habit. Read on to learn how to stop giving unsolicited advice, according to Stanier.

What Is the Advice Monster? Michael Stanier Explains

What is the “advice monster?” What’s the problem with advice-giving? How can you tame your advice monster? According to author Michael Bungay Stanier, advice-giving is a widespread habit that many people find difficult to break—a habit he personifies as your “advice monster.” He claims that subduing the compulsion to give advice (i.e. taming your advice monster) is not an easy change to make. Read on to learn more about Stanier’s advice monster and how to break advice-giving habits.

Why Asking Questions Is Important (+Useful Techniques)

Why is asking questions important in communication? How can you ask better questions? According to leadership expert Michael Bungay Stanier, asking questions is important in all forms of communication because it helps you to avoid the advice-giving trap. In his book The Advice Trap, he explains the benefits of asking questions versus the drawbacks of offering suggestions. Read on to learn why asking questions is important, including Stanier’s tips for asking better questions.

How to Recognize Propaganda: 3 Tell-Tale Features

How pervasive is propaganda? How can you tell when a message is manipulative? Propaganda is all around us. It might be a song, an image, an advertisement, or a headline. In Mythologies, Roland Barthes explains how myth is basically propaganda. He warns against its influence, so it’s important to know it when you see it. Keep reading to learn how to recognize propaganda and keep from being deceived and used.

Team Topologies Interaction Modes: The 3 Ways Teams Link Up

Do the teams in your organization work well together? Are there protocols in place for smooth interaction? In Team Topologies, software engineers Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais show you how to set up your development teams to work as efficiently as possible. They recommend dividing your workforce into four types of teams, and then they outline three ways these teams can most effectively work together. Keep reading to learn about the three Team Topologies interaction modes.

How to Break Through Someone’s Emotional Walls

How do you break through someone’s emotional walls and open their mind to what you have to say? What are the three parts of the brain? According to psychiatrist Mark Goulston, most people aren’t receptive to outside ideas unless their emotional barriers are broken down. By addressing the emotional burden of the person you’re trying to connect with, you’ll help them clear their mind of immediate stress, which will make them receptive to your ideas. Here’s how to get through someone’s emotional barriers, which is the first step to connecting with anyone.

Robert Greene: The 4 Steps of Seduction

What is Robert Greene’s seduction process? How do you let your victim’s guard down and drive them to obsession? According to Robert Greene, the aim of seduction is to bring the other person under your control—not necessarily sexually or romantically. There are four steps to it: 1) lure your target, 2) sink your hook, 3) reel in your catch, and 4) devour your prey. Here’s a look at Robert Greene’s four seduction steps and what each entails.

What Makes a Good Manager & Leader? 2 Must-Have Traits

What makes a good manager and leader? What do nearly all great leaders do? In Making Things Happen, management expert Scott Berkun explains what makes a good manager and leader, based on his former management experience for major companies like Microsoft and WordPress. He claims that there are two must-have qualities that define good managers and leaders. Read on to learn what makes a good manager and leader, according to Berkun.

Phil M. Jones’s Exactly What to Say: Book Overview

Want an overview of Phil M. Jones’s Exactly What to Say? What are the book’s key takeaways and suggestions for sales techniques? In Exactly What to Say, Phil M. Jones describes how to improve your business interactions by using key phrases that appeal to your listener’s subconscious mind. He claims that you can guide them to a decisive “yes” by capitalizing on conversational selling skills. Read on for an overview of the sales techniques and key phrases in Phil M. Jones’s Exactly What to Say.