The Messages Workbook: Powerful Strategies for Effective Communication at Work and Home

When we asked Dr. Matt McKay-coauthor of Messages: The Communication Skills Book, New Harbinger publisher, and psychologist in private practice-how many of his clients had communication problems, he answered without hesitation: 100 percent.

Simply put, skill at communicating with others is the single largest determinant of anyone's happiness, and success. Rewarding and lucrative careers, strong and lasting friendships, meaningful and satisfying romance all hang on this one uniquely human ability.

You need strong communication skills to survive. The better able you are to communicate with others, the happier and more successful you will be. Rewarding and lucrative careers, strong and lasting friendships, meaningful and satisfying romance all hang on this one uniquely human ability. Communication is a skill that can always be improved with good information and practice. Whatever your communication needs, this book offers you real tools you can use to express yourself well and relate to others effectively.

The original Messages taught you the fundamental skills you need to communicate well. This workbook offers you exercises and scripts you can use to practice these skills and make them your own. The workbook extends the techniques of Messages to a wide range of situations: Exercises teach you to communicate with teens and children. They help facilitate partner understanding by exploring gender communication differences. Step-by-step worksheets, fill-ins, and case stories help you avoid communication pitfalls and make long-lasting, life-enhancing changes. The workbook guides you through challenging communication situations like talking through a power dynamic with a boss or a subordinate, with elders, or with people of different cultures.

• Learn to listen well, disclose information honestly, and express yourself clearly
• Communicate effectively with children, teens, elders, and coworkers
• Handle difficult conversations and manage conflict with poise, tact, and assertiveness
• Master the art of persuasion and succeed at work, at home, and in public life
• Meet new people, cultivate friendships, and relate well to the opposite gender
• Speak to groups large and small with conviction and confidence

Martha Davis, Ph.D., is a psychologist in the department of psychiatry of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara, CA, where she practices individual, couple, and group psychotherapy. She is the coauthor of Messages, Thoughts & Feelings, and The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook.

Kim Paleg, Ph.D., is a practicing clinical psychologist specializing in couples and family therapy and codirector of the Redwood Center Psychology Associates, Inc., in Berkeley, CA. She is coauthor of several relationship self-help books, including Couple Skills and When Anger Hurts Your Relationship.

Patrick Fanning is a professional writer in the mental health field and the founder of a men’s support group in Northern California. He is the coauthor of eight self-help books, including: Messages, Self-Esteem, Thoughts and Feelings, and Couple Skills.