Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to provide practicing and aspiring managers, as well as students of management, with a practical and comprehensive reference for getting understood when communicating with their coworkers and those they manage. The book is organized into seven sections including personality traits, the organization, content, context, clarification of the message, as well as word and language use, and speaking voice and style. Several key points about the organization and content of this book should be noted. Each factor is defined in the first paragraph of each topic with an explanation for the way each factor is used to promote understanding–topics can be read quickly, designed to save the reader time. The information contained in this book applies to communicating with both individuals and groups and will help managers say the right thing, in the right way, and at the right time when interacting with their coworkers.