| “Don’t Just Talk, Be Heard!” | Midterm Paper | | | 3/25/2012 |

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Don’t Just Talk, Be Heard!
The book I choose to read for my midterm is entitled, “Don’t Just Talk, Be Heard: Closing the Gap Between What You Say and What People Hear” by David L. Levin. David addresses the issue of the communication gap. The message that is intended might not be the message that is received. In this short little book, which is packed with information on overcoming the communication barrier, the author helps the speaker or leader realize some of the common problems in the process of communication. There are several helpful little tips that will make the speaker more aware of how to connect with people. This applies to preaching as well as working a room during a meeting. It teaches the skills of "handing off," "Listening for emotions," "using enthusiastic vision," and "learning to facilitate instead of dictate." These are all helpful tactics. Also, taught in this book is ways to avoid some of the major communication disconnects. It discusses such topics:"negative assumptions," "talking about yourself," "talking too much," "using jargon," and "defensiveness and blame." Through out the book the author uses several case studies which are a fictionalized composite of people whom he has worked with as a communication coach to better explain what causes communication gaps, to teach practical ways to close them, and to show the differences closing the gaps can make.
The book had several tips to make the speaker more aware of how to connect with people such as: 1) ask good questions-of yourself (questions we ask ourselves to focus our thoughts, change our perspective, and put us in a particular frame of mind), 2) be more engaged, 3) listen for emotions and echo them back using feeling words, 4) use enthusiastic vision