The Art of Connecting: How to Overcome Differences, Build Rapport, and Communicate Effectively with Anyone

I think more and more people in business (and life in general) are realizing that people are not exactly like them. Simply put, we live in a global community where not everyone looks, sounds, or acts the same. In addition to obvious physical differences, we also have different interests, values, and goals. Thus, to be successful in business (and in life) one needs to understand, get along with, and ultimately connect with people that are different from him or herself. The Art of Connecting takes the difficulty out of connecting with anyone. The key is not to pour over Chinese history books for two weeks before that meeting in Beijing. Nor is it to be friendly and aloof because you are unsure of how to act. The secret is merely realizing that we all are individuals (we are all our own culture as the book states). Watching, listening, and trying to find common ground with each person as an individual is much more likely to allow you to overcome overt differences, build rapport, and communicate effectively.

The Art of Connecting is a well written book that combines concepts and ideas with useful tools for connecting. The book has a wealth of applications with great examples from Terry Gross' "Fresh Air," The Steckels Milestones Project, and Hector Orci's work with clients. The book moves from Core Principles to chapters like Pathways to Connections, Points of View and Working with Groups. The appendix offers some valuable exercises that I was able to immediately share with students when teaching and learning about inclusiveness and listening to other voices. It concludes with an assessment tool to consider your own effectiveness in connecting. An exceptional resource for connecting concepts and ideas with practical applications.

I have been a professional communicator for over 20 years and I was sincerely impressed by the practical usefulness of this book. I strongly recommend it to any one who manages a company or sees the value of influencing, motivating or simply connecting with others. Because I see our workplace and culture becoming less homogenized, it is increasingly important that we gain the skills outlined in this book regardless of whether we are interacting with customers, co-workers or those who are in different socio-economic positions both in the work environment and in the world at large. Ewing and Raines have done a wonderful job and this book would be a valuable addition to anyone's personal library.

I will be providing each member of our Diversity Leadership Council with a copy of "The Art of Connecting". It is a perfect "how to manual" in guiding us through the uneasy relationships or encounters we face daily in the workplace. The stories of real people, case studies, Learning Activities, and assessment, bring to life and allow us to practice the authors' "Core Principles" that support us in increasing our effectiveness at connecting with those that are different-- just the skill needed by any "Diversity Champion"!

Very helpful. The Art of Connecting has several nuggets that you can take and apply immediately, built around what the authors call the "Titanium Rule" -- "do unto others according to their druthers." It's a powerful concept, yet a real challenge; how to know how others want to be treated, especially people from very different backgrounds? The focus of the book is how to "tune in" to these "druthers"; the subtle clues that we often just let float by unrecognized and don't build upon. There are chapters on connecting one-on-one, taking other points of view, and working in diverse groups. Once the concepts are out of the way, the authors provide lots of examples and case studies to build on the learning. Bottom line...these concepts have helped me connect better through greater awareness of cues I had been missing. It's easy to put into practice and start to see benefits, if you're willing to invest a bit of effort. I don't think you can go wrong with this book.