Interpersonal Communication Skills in the Workplace is designed to help you build and enhance your communication skills-active listening, giving and receiving criticism, dealing with different personality types, and nonverbal communication. It explains basic communication theory as it applies to the workplace, and offers "real-life" scenarios that demonstrate the use of effective interpersonal communication.

You'll learn how to:

• Identify personal barriers to effective communication and develop strategies to overcome them
• Give and receive workplace criticism constructively
• Use body language techniques to reinforce the meaning of what you say
• Understand and communicate more effectively with different types of people

Course Objective:

Develop and enhance communication skills using listening techniques, conversation, and nonverbal strategies.

As one course among many offered in the American Management Association's Essential Business Skills series, Interpersonal Communication Skills in the Workplace has been designed specifically to give professionals at every level an introduction to the essential skills and the knowledge needed to succeed in today's business world. It provides private, self-paced, individualized study; learning and self-evaluation through in-text exercises. AMA's curriculum provides practical information to working professionals who, on their own time and at their own pace, want to continue their education.

Jeffery H. Davis, M.Ed., is the founder and owner of Organization Renewal Associates, a consulting and training company in Littleton, Massachusetts, that specializes in improving communication, teamwork, and organizational direction for its clients. He has successfully aided organizations in the high-tech, pharmaceutical, hospital, electronics, and service industries with his training and consulting expertise. He is a member of the American Society for Training and Development, and the Organization Development Network. Mr. Davis is also the author of the AMA audiocassette course entitled "Are You Listening? The Key to Effective Communication."

Pamela Helling, president of Pam Helling Associates, a Brookline, Massachusetts, consulting firm specializing in developing business communications curricula and customized training programs, served as general editor of the Essential Business Skills series. Ms. Helling earned her bachelor's degree from the University of London. She has conducted training for a variety of organizations including Boston Edison, the Boston Management Consortium, the Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training, and Polaroid and has lectured at the University of Lowell and the Harvard Extension. Ms. Helling has written several courses for the American Management Association.

The publisher wishes to thank Andrew E. Schwartz, president of ALE. Schwartz & Associates, a management training and consulting organization located in Watertown, Massachusetts, for his assistance in reviewing and developing this course and others in the Essential Business Skills series.