Conversations at Work: Promoting a Culture of Conversation in the Changing Workplace (Palgrave Pocket Consultants)

For any organization to achieve its goals people need to interact, and those interactions require dialogue and conversation. And yet, thanks to technology, we seem to be having fewer genuine conversations than we used to. It used to be that instead of talking face-to-face with people, we would call them on the telephone. Then we faxed them. Then we emailed them. Now we text them or 'connect' through social media. In an increasingly mediated, technologically networked world, conversing one-on-one can seem a bit old fashioned. It is much quicker and easier to press a few buttons or click a mouse. Especially when the conversation we need to have might be a tough one – we've become 'more mouse that trousers.' The question every contemporary manager must address is: How often am I using (or even hiding behind) technology when a person-to-person, face-to-face conversation is possible, or preferable? Simple, everyday, supportive conversations are the building blocks of effective relationships; they establish the context for more difficult, challenging conversations by building acceptance and understanding. The ability to hold meaningful and constructive conversations is one of the essential skills leaders at all levels of organizations must develop. Indeed, if there is a mark of leadership, it must be the courage and competence to talk openly, clearly, fairly, and confidently about issues that matter – the ability to have conversations at work. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Figures and Tables......Page 10 Introduction......Page 11 1 Organizations are Conversations......Page 17 Part I: Developing a Culture for Conversations......Page 34 2 The “Them and Us” Employment Relationship: A Culture of Discouraging Conversations......Page 35 3 A New Employment Relationship: A Culture of Encouraging Conversations......Page 47 4 The Nine Common Barriers to Communication......Page 62 Part II: Types of Workplace Conversations......Page 83 5 Development Conversations: The Five Conversations Framework......Page 84 6 Development Conversations: Five More Conversations......Page 106 7 Conversations for Building Relationships......Page 122 8 Conversations for Making and Reviewing Decisions......Page 140 Part III: The Skills of Conversations......Page 161 9 The “Face” of Communication......Page 162 10 Active Listening Can Make Other People Better Communicators Too......Page 165 11 Using Your Eyes (Part 1): Three Perceptual Positions......Page 181 12 Using Your Eyes (Part 2): Watching and Being Watched......Page 195 13 The Art of Inquiry in Conversations......Page 208 14 Creating and Maintaining Safe, Open Feedback Channels......Page 221 Notes......Page 238 Index......Page 245 For any organization to achieve its goals people need to interact, and those interactions require dialogue and conversation. Thanks to technology, we seem to be having fewer genuine conversations than we used to. The question every contemporary manager must address is: How often am I using (or even hiding behind) technology when a person-to-person, face-to-face conversation is possible, or preferable? Simple, everyday, supportive conversations are the building blocks of effective relationships; they establish the context for more difficult, challenging conversations by building acceptance and understanding. The ability to hold meaningful and constructive conversations is one of the essential skills leaders at all levels of organizations must develop. A mark of leadership must be the courage and competence to talk openly, clearly, fairly, and confidently about issues that matter - the ability to have conversations at work. -- Edited summary from book Organizations are about conversations. For any organization to achieve its goals, people need to interact and those interactions require dialogue and conversation. Yet, thanks to technology, we seem to be having fewer genuine conversations. This book seeks to change this, through "how to skills" and wider cultural change advice.