The 9 Deadliest Sins of Communication

Before we talk about the nine deadliest sins of communication, let's mention the seventh deadliest sin of video production: Thou shalt not use a two-camera set-up on a lone talking head in such a way that it forces the person to whip her head from camera to camera. It's awkward for the speaker, distracting for the viewer, and very much reminiscent of Faye Dunaway doing the "mother/sister" bit while being cuffed by Jack Nicholson in Chinatown. Now that I've got that burning criticism off my Huskies (Go Dawgs!) sweatshirt, let's talk about business communications, or--to paraphrase the title of Allan Gurganus' new novel--playing well with others. Host/presenter Ronnie Moore delivers a primarily talking head guide (using the aforementioned whipsaw motion) to the nine circles of business communications hell, supplementing her arguments with brief skits. The transgressions include confrontation phobia, emitting a "do not disturb" attitude, listening with only one ear, dominating a conversation, emotional flooding, sloppy communications, sending mixed signals, and more. Moore's commentary, while occasionally repetitive, is easy-to-follow, filled with useful suggestions, and sensitive to the realities of the workplace. I especially liked her concept of "instrumental concern," which basically means being polite and attentive because you care for the issue even though you personally wish that a fellow employee would be abducted by aliens. Libraries should be aware that a fill-in-the-blank workbook is included and referred to in the program; however, it's not really essential to the program. Although I've listed a few quibbles here, The 9 Deadliest Sins of Communication gives pretty good bang for the business buck, and is recommended, overall. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)