How can you communicate effectively and create meaningful interactions in an increasingly digital world? By teaching. In Make Yourself Clear, educational experts and entrepreneurs Reshan Richards and Stephen J. Valentine explain the many parallels between teaching and business and offer companies, both large and small, concrete advice for building the teaching capacity of their salespeople, leaders, service professionals, and trainers. The rise of digital communications has led to three emergent, often problematic, forces: automation, an increase in the speed and volume of information transfer, and an unmet need for people to feel more than satisfied in their interpersonal transactions, particularly between sellers and consumers. Through a mix of research, anecdotes, case studies, and theoretical speculation, this book equips readers to build understanding within their current and future audiences by leveraging the tools, methods, and mindsets used by successful teachers. You will be equipped to understand others better, and in turn, to be better understood. Make Yourself Clear is not prescriptive, nor does it suggest rigid steps, pillars, or frameworks. Instead, it provides immediately recognizable and relatable context, suggesting actions that can be tried, measured, tested, and iterated upon in any communication context that involves the exchange of information and ideas. Ground your business communications in proven techniques Profit from expert instruction given by those who have helped thousands of readers and workshop students Develop your sales career by applying effective teaching practices to customer and colleague interactions For educators, adopt the latest best practices into your teaching style Backed by thorough research and extensive real-world testing, Make Yourself Clear opens a door to more productive communication and more effective interactions. It offers compelling and relevant insights to longtime fans of the work of Richards and Valentine and newcomers alike, leading to real and lasting benefits.

'I wish I'd had this book forty years ago when I first started teaching. Everything But Teaching, with its moving anecdotes, pragmatic examples, and incisive observations, is the teacher's version of the Boy Scout Handbook-the ideal guide for teaching purposely without getting lost or sidetracked. It is perfect for new teacher orientation and veteran teachers' -Patrick F. Bassett, President , National Association of Independent Schools 'Stephen Valentine knows teaching through and through. Here he packs a huge message into a short space. I urge anyone who cares about schools, students, learning, or teaching to read this gem of a book' -Edward Hallowell, Consultant The Hallowell Center Every teacher knows that what happens before and after class is as important as what happens during class. This accessible resource gives all teachers indispensable tips for managing professional priorities outside the classroom and saving energy for the most essential part of their work: teaching students. Real-life vignettes, planning sheets, and other templates, illustrate how to master the multitasking demands of the teaching life, including: - Planning time wisely - Tailoring grading practices to provide clear feedback - Holding productive meetings with students, parents, or colleagues - Keeping and using records effectively - Corresponding with grace, tact, and detail - Processing information and refining procedures - Embracing new professional learning opportunities

An organizational approach to more effective school leadership, online and off Leadership, especially in a school setting, is too important to be merely intuitive. In this generous book, Steve and Reshan outline a new way of thinking for a new kind of leader. Recommended. Seth Godin, author of What to Do When it s Your Turn (and it s Always Your Turn) "If you're a school leader, Blending Leadership is the book you need to guide your thinking in today's increasingly networked educational environment. Your students and staff may have varying degrees of comfort with technology, but this book will give you solid guidance on how to lead them both online and offline and chart a path to the future. Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive Blending Leadership provides all school leaders with a unique approach to utilizing technology for more effective learning and leadership. As the online aspects of schools become just as important as their brick-and-mortar counterparts, leaders must be as effective screen-to-screen as they are face-to-face. Drawing from research, experience, and real-world examples, this book explores and unpacks six core beliefs necessary for the blended leader to succeed. Between email, websites, apps, updates, tweets, attachments, infographics, YouTube, and unceasing notifications, most people are inundated with digital detritus, and they either grow to ignore it or get swept under it. Effective blended leaders see these distractions as spurs to action, models, test cases, remixable commodities, and learning opportunities. Blending Leadership gives you the perspective you need to excel and the knowledge to leverage the tools at your disposal.