Improve Your Communication Skills, 2nd Edition

Chapter 2: How conversations 
work
Peter Senge’s book
The Fifth Discipline
(Random House, London, 
2nd edn, 2006) relates conversation to systems theory. William 
Isaac’s 
Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together
(Currency Books, 
New York, 1999) is at the leading edge of studies into 
conversation.
Chapter 3: Seven ways to improve 
your conversations
First- and second-stage thinking are notions that inform Edward 
de Bono’s work. Look at 
Lateral Thinking in Management
(Penguin, 
London, 1982). The four types of conversation derive from the 
work of Michael Wallacek, who may have been influenced by 
Werner Erhard.
Chris Argyris’ Ladder of Inference is best found in 
The Fifth 
Discipline Fieldbook
, edited by Peter Senge and others (Nicholas 
Brealey, London, 1994).
For more on mindmaps, see Tony Buzan’s 
Use your Head 
(BBC, 
London, 1974).
Chapter 4: The skills of enquiry
Nancy Kline’s 
Time to Think
(Ward Lock, London, 1999) is a 
fascinating study of deep listening.
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199 Appendix
Chapter 5: The skills of persuasion
Peter Thompson’s 
Persuading Aristotle
(Kogan Page, London, 1999) 
relates classical rhetoric to modern business techniques 
entertainingly. For more on pyramids, look at Barbara Minto’s 
The 
Pyramid Principle
(Pitman, London, 1987).
Chapter 6: Interviews: holding a 
formal conversation
Alan Barker’s 
How to be Better at Managing People
(Kogan Page, 
London, 2000) discusses all of these types of interview, and other 
kinds of managerial conversation, in more depth.
For more on coaching, john Whitmore’s 
Coaching for 
Performance
(Nicholas Brealey, London, 1992) is a central text. Reg 
Hamilton’s 
Mentoring
(Industrial Society, London, 1993) contains 
some useful material on counselling.