Preface

A new edition of a book provides opportunities to update material and fine-tune critical ideas. I seized these opportunities but I also wanted to do something more. My goals focused on making this edition more accessible, actionable, and thought-provoking.

• Accessible: Readers will notice that each chapter contains a "By the Numbers" feature. These sidebars underscore critical facts that highlight the chapter's communication challenge. This edition also includes more summary charts designed to underscore critical notions. I moved much of the background research to the book's Web site to better organize supplemental material. For example, the citations for "By the Numbers" are on the book's website.
  
  
• Actionable: Since the second edition of this book, I have consulted with numerous organizations about many of the communication issues discussed in the previous editions. I learned first-hand the difficulty many organizations experience translating seemingly simple and straightforward principles into action. For instance, after leading dozens of change efforts in the past few years, I have grown to appreciate the need for actionable tools based on sound theory and designed to assist with the planning process. This edition includes examples of those tools. In general, I emphasize how to successfully and quickly implement the principles discussed in chapter.
  
  
• Thought-provoking: Scores of business and communication books are published every year that tell us what to do, but not how to structure our thinking. I've paid particular attention to this issue because I believe that although tactical decisions change with situations, a robust thinking routine can endure and be applicable to a wide range of situations. Thus, readers will note a renewed focus on core models designed to structure thinking about issues such as spanning organizational boundaries. Likewise, a new chapter (11) discusses in considerable depth the difficult question of measuring and judging communication effectiveness. Hopefully, readers will have a vision of the relationship between communication assessments, strategies, and tactics.

In short, every chapter has been revised in some major way. I have also been mindful of how the Internet continues to change the way organizations communicate. The "dot" is the most significant aspect of the dot.com evolution because dots can be easily connected. The ease of connecting employees, managers, and executives has not made organizational communication easier; it has only changed the nature of the challenge. This edition tackles this issue in a variety of ways. In fact, my consulting firm, Metacomm, developed a Web site for the book intended to improve the connection between motivated readers and the material (see www.imetacomm.com/CME3). The site contains chapter outlines, exercises, and case studies. I hope the book and Web site provide the wisdom, insight, and advice necessary to enhance your communication effectiveness.