The Communication Playbook

Designed for today’s active learners, The Communication Playbook moves students beyond the classroom by helping them develop a strong communication skillset that will benefit them throughout their lives. With a focus on effective communication skills and career success, bestselling authors Teri Kwal Gamble and Michael W. Gamble give students clear explanations of core concepts followed by practical learning activities—encouraging students to think critically about why good communication is important and how the concepts can be applied to today’s classroom, workplace, and community. Perfect for the hybrid communication course with coverage of public speaking, this concise text has been strategically separated into tabbed chapters—making it easier for readers to navigate, digest, revisit, and review the content. As good communication is the foundation of everyday life, The Communication Playbook primes students for success in both their courses and their careers. This title is accompanied by a complete teaching and learning package. Contact your SAGE representative to request a demo. Digital Option / Courseware SAGE Vantage is an intuitive digital platform that delivers this text’s content and course materials in a learning experience that offers auto-graded assignments and interactive multimedia tools, all carefully designed to ignite student engagement and drive critical thinking. Built with you and your students in mind, it offers simple course set-up and enables students to better prepare for class. Assignable Video with Assessment Assignable video (available with SAGE Vantage) is tied to learning objectives and curated exclusively for this text to bring concepts to life. Watch a sample video now. LMS Cartridge (formerly known as SAGE Coursepacks): Import this title’s instructor resources into your school’s learning management system (LMS) and save time. Don’t use an LMS? You can still access all of the same online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.  Learn more. GoREACT Don’t just record–GoREACT! Offer your students an easy, interactive web video tool for recording, video sharing, and evaluating speeches within a secure online platform. Learn more.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1: Start Right Here What Is Communication Presence What Is Communication? Essentials of Communication Visualizing the Communication Process in Action How Good a Communicator Are You? Why Do We Communicate? Chapter 2: Having Communication Presence in a Multicultural Society and World Cultures’ Many Faces What Happened to the Melting Pot? Culture and Communication Cultures Within Cultures Dimensions of Culture in Action Technology and Community Chapter 3: The “I” Behind the Eye: Perception and the Self Perception of the Self, Others, and Experience Perceiving the “I” Affects Perception of You The Connection Between Self-Concept and Behavior Factors Affecting Self-Concept and Outlook How to Enhance Self-Awareness Barriers to Perceiving Yourself and Others Clearly Gender, Self-Concept, and Perception Culture, Self-Concept, and Perception Chapter 4: Communicating With Words: Helping Minds Meet Language Is Alive: We Use Words to Share Meaning Problems With the Communication of Meaning Barriers to Understanding: Patterns of Miscommunication Culture and Language Gender and Language Words and Power Profanity and Obscenity Technology and Language Use Chapter 5: Nonverbal Messages Speak Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication Functions of Nonverbal Communication Types of Nonverbal Communication Truth, Deception, and Nonverbal Cues Gender and Nonverbal Behavior Culture and Nonverbal Behavior Technology and Nonverbal Communication Chapter 6: Listening, Feedback, and Critical Thinking Listening and Communication Types of Listening The Stages of Listening: More Than Meets the Ear More on the Ethics of Listening: Identifying Problem Behaviors Responding With Feedback The Importance of Critical Thinking Gender and Listening Style Cultural Influences on Listening Technology’s Influence on Listening and Critical Thinking Chapter 7: Understanding Relationships What Is An Interpersonal Relationship? Conversing: Connecting Through Interpersonal Dialogue Relationships Differ in Breadth and Depth Analyzing Relationships Lying, Trust, and Relationships Laughter as Interpersonal Tool Gender and Relationships Culture and Relationships More on Technology and Relationships Chapter 8: Person to Person: Handling Emotions and Conflict Five Factors Contributing to Relationship Interest Understanding the Uncertainty Factor Types of Relationships Emotions and Relationships Expressing and Sharing Feelings Experiencing Relational Conflict Technology, Relationships, and the Communication of Emotion Chapter 9: Teamwork: Strategies for Decision Making and Problem Solving Groups, Teams, and You Characteristics and Components of Groups Using Groups to Make Decisions and Solve Problems Understanding the Roles Group Members Play Understanding Group Member Relationships Decision Making In Groups: Reaching Goals Gender, Culture, Technology, and Group Interaction Chapter 10: Leading Others and Resolving Conflict APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP: THE LEADER IN YOU Theories of Leadership Leading the Way Through Conflict Management The Influence of Gender, Culture, and Technology on Leadership and Conflict Management Chapter 11: Public Speaking and You BUILDING PUBLIC SPEAKING CONFIDENCE Approaching Speech Making Systematically: A Primer for Giving Your First Speech Analyze Yourself Analyze Your Audience Analyze the Occasion Select Your Topic Narrow The Topic and Clarify Your Purpose Chapter 12: Researching, Supporting, and Outlining Your Speech Research Your Topic Select the Best Support Possible Linear and Configural Formats Outlining Your Speech: Building a Speaking Framework Beginnings and Endings Chapter 13: Using Presentation Aids and Delivering Your Speech Selecting and Preparing Presentation Aids Preparing to Speak Rehearsing Presenting: Keys to Remember Beyond the Presentation: Assessing Your Effectiveness Chapter 14: Informative Speaking Sharing and Conceptualizing Information Types of Informative Presentations Guidelines for Informative Speakers Chapter 15: Persuasive Speaking The Purpose of Persuasion Types of Persuasive Speeches Understanding Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Persuading Responsibly, Strategically, and Credibly Guidelines for Persuading Effectively Appendix: Interviewing and Developing Professional Relationships The Employment Interview: Beyond Casual Communication Securing the Interview: Tools and Tasks Conducting an Interview Impression Management and Interviewee Presence Looking at the Law: Illegal Interview Questions Diversity, Technology, and the Interview Answer Key Glossary Notes Index

About the Author :
Teri Kwal Gamble enjoyed a career as a full professor of communication at the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, NY (PhD, New York University; MA and BA, Lehman College, CUNY), and Michael W. Gamble, is a full professor of communication at the New York Institute of Technology in New York City (PhD, New York University; BA and MFA, University of Oklahoma). The Gambles are partners in life and work. Professional writers of education and training materials, the Gambles are the coauthors of numerous textbooks and trade books. Their most recent publication is The Interpersonal Communication Playbook (2020). Teri and Mike also are the coauthors of The Communication Playbook (2019). Among other books the Gambles have written together are Nonverbal Messages Tell More: A Practical Guide to Nonverbal Communication (2017), Leading with Communication (2013), and The Gender Communication Connection (2nd ed., 2014). Previously, Michael served as an officer and taught Leadership Skills for the U.S. Army Infantry School during the Vietnam War. The Gambles also are the founders of Interact Training Systems, a consulting firm that conducts seminars, workshops, and short courses for business and professional organizations. Teri and Mike also produce training and marketing materials for sales organizations and are the coauthors of the trade book, Sales Scripts That Sell.

Review :
"The best communication textbook I’ve seen." "The Communication Playbook guides students into the discipline of communications with a more personal approach." "This updated text is in a user friendly format, with clear, neutral, and accurate language. The authors include numerous examples and exercises to give you sufficient practice while studying the material. There are enough activities in each chapter so that your students could claim a reasonable mastery of the material by successfully going over them."