8 Books to Help You Communicate Better at Work 

Finding trustworthy books to help you communicate better at work can be overwhelming. A cousin of self-help and ripe with untested methods that reflect an author’s rise-and-grind mindset, proper guidance is rare. That’s why relying on time-tested techniques and listening to industry pioneers is a terrific way to cut through the noise. We rarely toot our own horn. However, Nancy Duarte’s approach to combining design and storytelling best practices predicted a world reoriented around these principles. 

Since its founding, Duarte has earned a reputation as a design firm par excellence and incubator for refining workplace communication. Nancy’s trailblazing thought leadership brought other like-minded thinkers under her wing to enhance Duarte’s growing knowledge catalog. Over time, these concepts freed businesses and, eventually, entire industries from the doldrums of lackluster presentations. In 2008, Slide:ology became Duarte’s first commercial offering and set the stage for a robust publication schedule. And we haven’t slowed down since.

Books to Help You Communicate Better at Work 

Is your team struggling to exchange ideas and actionable feedback? Are you gearing up for a strategic pivot, or do your presentation skills need a tune-up? If you answered yes to any of the above, you’ve come to the right place. Each title below is the fruit of deep research and suggests targeted applications to yield the most effective results. Dive into our catalog of best-selling books to help you communicate better at work. Plus, enjoy added resources and free tools for continued support. 

Adaptive Listening™

The newest edition to the Duarte publication roster, Adaptive Listening: How to Cultivate Trust and Traction at Work, offers an alternative to Active Listening that acknowledges diverse listener and speaker needs. “Just pay attention” was never enough for true connection. After three years of research, testing, and writing, co-authors Maegan Stephens and Nicole Lowenbraun elevated listening through a set of actionable tools. 

Identifying Support, Advance, Immerse, and Discern listening styles that solve specific, in-the-moment needs for personal and professional success. Throughout the book, Maegan and Nicole break down relatable scenarios to apply and toggle between these approaches.  

Get started with Adaptative Listening by finding your S.A.I.D. Listening Style™ to uncover strengths and areas of improvement to refine your listening skills, or order a copy of the book to learn Adaptive Listening™ at your own pace. For those who appreciate a more hands-on experience, Adaptive Listening training workshops are available to help take your ears to the next level. 

DataStory

It’s Big Data’s world, and we’re just living in it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t tell compelling stories with data that inspire and lead to change. Our most in-demand training course evolved from Nancy’s 2019 watershed book DataStory, which reshaped how information is explained and presented to motivate leaders and move teams to action. 

By applying classic narrative techniques to interpret and share raw data, Nancy revealed a novel approach for communicating daily workplace diagnostics for long-term success. When everything from budgeting to strategic planning to lead generation is downstream of data-driven analytics, DataStory encourages presenters to tell a story about the data that illustrates a “So what?” for their audience. 

At its core, DataStory provides an approachable blueprint for making complex data into clear recommendations for decision-makers at every level of your organization. Grab a copy or attend a live training session to build narrative-driven data storytelling into your team’s workflow. 

HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations 

Nancy’s contribution to the illustrious Harvard Business Review publication series distills her career insights on presentations into an easily digestible companion for anyone looking to capture an audience. The HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations outlines key takeaways and best practices for crafting and delivering a memorable talk. 

This volume offers a one-size-fits-all approach to refining the perfect public speaking skillset and converting your ideas into real change. Whether you’re looking to reorient your company or spark a social movement through your words, Nancy’s time-tested methods for capturing and sustaining in-person and virtual crowds are essential tools. 

To test your persuasive prowess before ordering Nancy’s HBR Guide, explore 10 Tips for Powerful Persuasive Presentations to prime the pump before your next meeting.  

Illuminate™ 

We’ve all heard the phrase “Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” but rarely is that burden framed through the potential it has to offer. In Illuminate™, co-authors Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez explore how leaders can overcome the struggle of envisioning a future and needing to articulate change to their followers.  

The book draws from for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, and social movements who used speeches, stories, ceremonies, and symbols to ignite change. Together, they shed light on their combined power and reveal pathways others have taken to shape the world we share today. 

Looking to find your spark? The Illuminate Torchbearer’s Toolkit™ can pinpoint the communication needed to drive your team to embrace transformation and stare down fresh challenges. Learn how to brighten your leadership approach and bring others along to achieve your vision. 

Presenting Virtually™

The rise of remote-first work took many in-person events online and introduced new demands for teams and leaders. Presenting Virtually™ by Duarte’s Patti Sanchez helps navigate this landscape to communicate and connect with online audiences by displaying a personal touch. 

Like making the most of a moment on the Jumbotron, you’ll learn how to harness camera close-ups for maximum impact. If “all the world’s a stage” as Shakespeare suggested, Patti shows how The Duarte Method™ can sustain its potential in the digital realm. 

Learn how clarity, empathy, and crisp design can serve to close the gap for a far flung audience. Presenting Virtually™ helps readers blaze a trail through this emerging environment to achieve intimacy and TED-level resonance from their home office. Our Pocket Guide to Presentations is the perfect bite-size companion to keep your next webinar or virtual talk on track. 

Resonate® 

One of Nancy’s lasting contributions to communication is the discovery that powerful ideas are rudderless without a compelling narrative. Resonate argues that marrying the hallmarks of storytelling with your next Big Idea can ensure it hums in the minds of your audience. 

Pulling from examples in literature and cinema, Nancy highlights the advantages of making your audience the hero. Through elevating presentations to the level of art, Resonate® encourages leaders to hang their talks on proven classical structures to boost audience investment and drive home key takeaways. 

Rising action. Conflict. Resolution. These added dramatic elements can give much needed depth to your prestations. After reading Resonate, you’ll have attendees on the edge of their seats and ready to enact your vision. To help win over your next gathering, create an Audience Needs Map™ to tailor your talk for success. 

Slide:ology® 

This is the release that launched a thousand PowerPoint® presentations. Slide:ology®, our flagship book to help you communicate better at work, can help you become a visual thinker. In a business world dominated by decks, presenting clear, concise, and visually stunning information can set your ideas apart. 

Slide:ology® provides an inviting primer to de-clutter your presentations through design best practices. Learn how to limit your slides to one key takeaway and effectively use white space. Plus, discover the power of striking fonts and colors, and how paneling images and text can heighten their appeal. 

Looking to kickstart your presentation process? Duarte’s Diagrammer® tool offers over 4,000 PowerPoint®-ready graphics to organize your thinking and get the creative juices flowing.

Free eBook to Help You Communicate Better at Work

Slidedocs® 

Did you ever think: This presentation could double as a perfect takeaway resource? Slidedocs® applies a visual eye to documents and walking materials to maximize their internal and external capabilities. 

Equal parts document and presentation, Slidedocs® marry the best of both mediums to arrive at a harmony of their shared function. At Duarte, Slidedocs® remain our primary mode of communication for making information actionable via visual storytelling. Plus, they’re a helpful reminder to keep our teams on point by encouraging everyone to “walk the walk.” 

To add Slidedocs® to your collection of books to help you communicate better at work, download the free ebook to begin making and sharing digestible documents to better align your organization. 

Looking Beyond Books to Help You Communicate Better at Work? 

We’re obviously huge fans of a healthy reading diet, but some skills require a hands-on approach. That’s why we built a robust training program alongside our published catalog to expand and implement their ideas. Reading books to help you communicate better at work can whet an appetite for change. However, enrolling your team in an on-demand, virtual, or in-person training course can help soft skills crystalize for long-term success. 

Our full menu of available training courses is always up-to-date and ready to accommodate teams and departments of all sizes. From C-suites, to human resources, L&D, sales, or marketing, we have the right curriculum to upskill your team. For help choosing the right approach to your team’s development, book a call with a Duarte training concierge. We always happy to strategize and plan the best path forward. 

In the meantime, happy reading!