Card Talk: Winning Communication Games

Author(s): William A Donohue

Edition: 2

Copyright: 2012

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$44.09

ISBN 9781465222886

Details eBook w/KHPContent Access 180 days


Communication is like a card game that resembles Texas Hold-em.

William Donohue, author of Card Talk: Winning Communication Games compares communication with the high-stakes poker card game, Texas Hold-em. 

Instead of card games with playing cards people play Talk Games with Talk Cards. Whenever someone crafts a message by talking, writing, calling, or texting someone, they frame that message from the role they are playing in relation to the other person (a Talk Game).

A Talk Game is a message exchange between people associated with a specific goal. The goal of this exchange becomes the name of the Talk Card Game we want to play. In playing Texas Hold-em, the goal is to win the game by taking the pot of money. Only one can win while the others all lose. Most talk games are different. Most Talk Games are cooperative events in which both people want to win by achieving their goals. 

The talk cards we use to play talk games are generally divided into two decks – Personal and Professional: 

  • The Personal Deck (covered in chapters 1-8) typically consists of cards we develop first within our families and friends and we use them most often when we communicate. They are usually our default cards. 
  • The second deck of cards we play relates more to our professional duties (covered in chapters 9-15). 

 
Of course, these cards overlap a great deal and we create card hands that mix cards from these two decks all the time. But it helps strategically to think about these two decks and how to play our cards to be most effective. Success and card choice are synonymous. If you don't have the card, you can't play the role.

 Card Talk: Winning Communication Games helps the reader overcome these challenges. Everyone needs to think about and evaluate their Talk Card deck, create more and better cards to adapt effectively to different situations, and learn how to play talk games successfully. Using the "Card" metaphor is important because it provides a much simpler path toward communication growth than simply listing skills and hoping people improve. 

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Chapter 1: Talk Cards and Talk Games
What are "Talk Cards," and how do we play and win "Talk Card" games?

 Chapter 2: Language Card Games
What are the fundamental principles of language that impact the cards we play and how we play them?

 Chapter 3: Social Identity Card Games
Identity is a key element that drives the choice of cards we play.

 Chapter 4: Relationship Card Games
How can we sort out our friend, sibling, spouse and professional cards to better play and win our complex relationship games?

 Chapter 5: Socialization Card Games
We select cards that we need to fit into various groups. What are the cards we pick to fit into our social and professional groups, and how do we play those games?

 Chapter 6: Culture Card Games
A big guide for how we select topics and craft our style in playing cards is our cultural orientation. What is culture and how does it influence our card play?

 Chapter 7: Persuasion Card Games
Sometimes the goal of playing cards is to persuade or influence the other to comply with a request.

 Chapter 8: Conflict Card Games
Conflict Games are difficult because they can involve multiple, often incompatible cards that are "over played" and result in unsatisfying outcomes. How do we play these games more effectively to succeed in the Conflict Game?

 Chapter 9: Coordination Card Games
When we start to use social networks in groups and ultimately coordinate to solve problems, what kinds of cards are most appropriate?

 Chapter 10: Decision-Making Card Games
Making effective decisions is a function of collecting information, using it to create a thorough understanding of the problem, developing options to address the problems, then selecting and implementing the best options. Success in activating this process in a group hinges on your ability to play the right talk cards at the right time.

 Chapter 11: Leadership Card Games
Leadership is all about creating cards capable of providing vision and direction to groups and organizations. Topics and styles on these cards must expand to meet the challenges.

 Chapter 12: Diffusion of Innovation Card Games
Change is difficult for most people in most organizations. Following the diffusion process by playing the right card, using the right media at the right time is the key to successful change.

 Chapter 13: Media Learning Card Games
Focusing on how the media educate people, this chapter addresses the media card. How do the media structure their cards to indirectly and directly educate their audiences?

 Chapter 14: Entertainment Card Games
Entertainment is designed to stimulate emotions to help people escape. Thus, topics and styles of entertainment messages must be structured to get the audience excited and panting for more.

 Chapter 15: Course Assignments 

 Chapter 16: The Art of Public Speaking
The art of public speaking is about connecting with people to make sure that your ideas are understood clearly and persuasively. 

William A Donohue


Communication is like a card game that resembles Texas Hold-em.

William Donohue, author of Card Talk: Winning Communication Games compares communication with the high-stakes poker card game, Texas Hold-em. 

Instead of card games with playing cards people play Talk Games with Talk Cards. Whenever someone crafts a message by talking, writing, calling, or texting someone, they frame that message from the role they are playing in relation to the other person (a Talk Game).

A Talk Game is a message exchange between people associated with a specific goal. The goal of this exchange becomes the name of the Talk Card Game we want to play. In playing Texas Hold-em, the goal is to win the game by taking the pot of money. Only one can win while the others all lose. Most talk games are different. Most Talk Games are cooperative events in which both people want to win by achieving their goals. 

The talk cards we use to play talk games are generally divided into two decks – Personal and Professional: 

  • The Personal Deck (covered in chapters 1-8) typically consists of cards we develop first within our families and friends and we use them most often when we communicate. They are usually our default cards. 
  • The second deck of cards we play relates more to our professional duties (covered in chapters 9-15). 

 
Of course, these cards overlap a great deal and we create card hands that mix cards from these two decks all the time. But it helps strategically to think about these two decks and how to play our cards to be most effective. Success and card choice are synonymous. If you don't have the card, you can't play the role.

 Card Talk: Winning Communication Games helps the reader overcome these challenges. Everyone needs to think about and evaluate their Talk Card deck, create more and better cards to adapt effectively to different situations, and learn how to play talk games successfully. Using the "Card" metaphor is important because it provides a much simpler path toward communication growth than simply listing skills and hoping people improve. 

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'Like' Card Talk on Facebook!

Chapter 1: Talk Cards and Talk Games
What are "Talk Cards," and how do we play and win "Talk Card" games?

 Chapter 2: Language Card Games
What are the fundamental principles of language that impact the cards we play and how we play them?

 Chapter 3: Social Identity Card Games
Identity is a key element that drives the choice of cards we play.

 Chapter 4: Relationship Card Games
How can we sort out our friend, sibling, spouse and professional cards to better play and win our complex relationship games?

 Chapter 5: Socialization Card Games
We select cards that we need to fit into various groups. What are the cards we pick to fit into our social and professional groups, and how do we play those games?

 Chapter 6: Culture Card Games
A big guide for how we select topics and craft our style in playing cards is our cultural orientation. What is culture and how does it influence our card play?

 Chapter 7: Persuasion Card Games
Sometimes the goal of playing cards is to persuade or influence the other to comply with a request.

 Chapter 8: Conflict Card Games
Conflict Games are difficult because they can involve multiple, often incompatible cards that are "over played" and result in unsatisfying outcomes. How do we play these games more effectively to succeed in the Conflict Game?

 Chapter 9: Coordination Card Games
When we start to use social networks in groups and ultimately coordinate to solve problems, what kinds of cards are most appropriate?

 Chapter 10: Decision-Making Card Games
Making effective decisions is a function of collecting information, using it to create a thorough understanding of the problem, developing options to address the problems, then selecting and implementing the best options. Success in activating this process in a group hinges on your ability to play the right talk cards at the right time.

 Chapter 11: Leadership Card Games
Leadership is all about creating cards capable of providing vision and direction to groups and organizations. Topics and styles on these cards must expand to meet the challenges.

 Chapter 12: Diffusion of Innovation Card Games
Change is difficult for most people in most organizations. Following the diffusion process by playing the right card, using the right media at the right time is the key to successful change.

 Chapter 13: Media Learning Card Games
Focusing on how the media educate people, this chapter addresses the media card. How do the media structure their cards to indirectly and directly educate their audiences?

 Chapter 14: Entertainment Card Games
Entertainment is designed to stimulate emotions to help people escape. Thus, topics and styles of entertainment messages must be structured to get the audience excited and panting for more.

 Chapter 15: Course Assignments 

 Chapter 16: The Art of Public Speaking
The art of public speaking is about connecting with people to make sure that your ideas are understood clearly and persuasively. 

William A Donohue