5 Conversations: How to Transform Trust, Engagement and Performance at Work

by Nick Cowley, Nigel Purse, Bart-Jan Van Der Linde (With)

Overview

Research shows that successful businesses are those where employees are really engaged. How do they achieve this? Complex organisation initiatives or something more personal? In today’s world of work, with all its jargon, processes, KPIs and technology we have forgotten a simple truth: the power of authentic, two-way, human conversations. This book, now in its 2nd edition, comes from over 30 years of learning from world-class organisations, tried-and-tested leadership coaching techniques and emergent thinking on neuroscience and employee behaviour. The result is a simple guide to why, when and how to hold five critical conversations with people you manage, which have been proven to dramatically improve trust, relationships, motivation and performance at work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784521585
Publisher:	Panoma Press
Publication date:	03/21/2019
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

Nick has such a wealth of experience in major corporations that it made a 2nd edition of this book essential. Before joining The Oxford Group in 1994, his career included roles with British Airways, Bayer AG and Whitbread in operational management, HR/L&D and Organisational Development across Europe and the Middle East. Nick gained corporate expertise in leading international projects, participating in M&A activity and significant organisational change programmes, as well as designing and implementing learning and development architecture. As a Director of The Oxford Group, he has responsibility for acquiring and growing client relationships over the long-term and works as a Consultant and Executive Coach. In 2013, Nick led the development of The Oxford Group’s 5 Conversations programme, the concept from which this book was created.

Nigel is an experienced facilitator, writer and speaker whose passion lies in developing management and leadership capability in both new and senior leaders in organisations worldwide. He was most recently the Chairman and Director of The Oxford Group, which he co-founded in 1987 following a career in HR and business management with the Mars Corporation and Burmah Oil. Under Nigel’s leadership The Oxford Group grew from its roots as a small company specialising in behavioural assessment to a global consultancy providing leadership and management development as well as executive coaching. In 2013, Nigel was instrumental in the development and launch of the 5 Conversations programme and today he continues to research, write and speak on a variety of leadership topics.

Table of Contents

Praise for 5 Conversations

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Preface

CHAPTER 1

Leadership is relationship

CHAPTER 2

Why do conversations matter – the business case

CHAPTER 3

Why do conversations matter – the scientific evidence

CHAPTER 4

Getting ready to hold the conversations

CHAPTER 5

Conversation 1 – Establishing a trusting relationship

CHAPTER 6

Conversation 2 – Agreeing mutual expectations

CHAPTER 7

Conversation 3 – Showing genuine appreciation

CHAPTER 8

Conversation 4 – Challenging unhelpful behaviour

CHAPTER 9

Conversation 5 – Building for the future

CHAPTER 10

Other ways to use 5 Conversations

5 Conversations in action

CHAPTER 11 Conclusion

APPENDIX

Conversation Toolkits

Bibliography

About the authors

Nick Cowley

Nigel Purse

Editorial Reviews

For too long, we have attempted to separate the rational from the emotional in organisational decision making. We now know this is not how our brains work and that we have therefore been failing to connect fully with the people who are the backbone of any organisation. This book demonstrates how to combine our ability to think both emotionally and rationally through conversations, encouraging leaders to use their whole brain and providing lots of practical examples of how to do this. I strongly recommend that you read this book to discover how to encourage trusting relationships and foster cooperation in your workplace.

Professor Patricia Riddell

5 Conversations demonstrates not only the power that quality conversations can have in the professional workspace for leaders, peers and employees alike – but also how much personal confidence and satisfaction can be gained from the art of good conversation – something that can be easily lost in our era of mobile, email and internet.

Kirsten Cox

Much of this book really resonates with how we operate – leadership is THE key enabler for success. This book is a practical guide for leaders in how they can evolve and develop the skills and approaches necessary for personal and organisational success.

John Devall

This is a crucial and absolutely practical book. It understands the nature of how vital the attachment emotion of trust is in organisations, without which no leader can engage the energies of the best people pulling in the same direction.

Professor Paul Brown

For too long we have compartmentalised our work relationships and ignored our basic humanity in the workplace – this book has reminded us of the importance of these relationships and the conversations that develop them.

Richard Flint

You would struggle to find conversations that are more important than those that are so expertly explored in this book. 5 Conversations offers a powerful and practical set of strategies for getting to the heart of workplace performance.

Robin Ryde

The principles behind 5 Conversations are exactly the same as those applied in the British Olympic Rowing Team to help us build strong teams and win Olympic Gold medals

Steve Williams OBE

Highly readable, practical and relevant for public and private sectors alike, 5 Conversations draws us back to the origins of communication and teaches us of the simple power of honest and authentic conversations for driving organisational engagement and performance. Read this book, and never fear a sabre-toothed tiger again.

Hugh Elliott

This book is a great idea. It is the first time I’ve seen very simple and so powerful things said about management: talking about “simply being human” or about “courage” and “curiosity about others”, which brings us back to what management really is: interaction between human beings! Something that most managers have a tendency to forget!

Laurent Camus

If you are genuinely interested in creating a more engaged workforce, this book is a must-read. 5 conversations is chock-full of pragmatic examples that both inform and instruct.

Benson Smith

For too long we have compartmentalised our work relationships and ignored our basic humanity in the workplace - this book has reminded us of the importance of these relationships and the conversations that develop them.--Richard Flint, Managing Director, Sky Bet

For too long, we have attempted to separate the rational from the emotional in organisational decision making. We now know this is not how our brains work and that we have therefore been failing to connect fully with the people who are the backbone of any organisation. This book demonstrates how to combine our ability to think both emotionally and rationally through conversations, encouraging leaders to use their whole brain and providing lots of practical examples of how to do this. I strongly recommend that you read this book to discover how to encourage trusting relationships and foster cooperation in your workplace.--Professor Patricia Riddell, Professor of Applied Neuroscience

Highly readable, practical and relevant for public and private sectors alike, 5 Conversations draws us back to the origins of communication and teaches us of the simple power of honest and authentic conversations for driving organisational engagement and performance. Read this book, and never fear a sabre-toothed tiger again.--Hugh Elliott, Director of Communication, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

If you are genuinely interested in creating a more engaged workforce, this book is a must-read. 5 conversations is chock-full of pragmatic examples that both inform and instruct.--Benson Smith, Chairman of the Board, Teleflex Incorporated

Much of this book really resonates with how we operate - leadership is THE key enabler for success. This book is a practical guide for leaders in how they can evolve and develop the skills and approaches necessary for personal and organisational success.--John Devall, Water Director, Northumbrian Water

The principles behind 5 Conversations are exactly the same as those applied in the British Olympic Rowing Team to help us build strong teams and win Olympic Gold medals--Steve Williams OBE, double Olympic Gold medallist

This book is a great idea. It is the first time I've seen very simple and so powerful things said about management: talking about "simply being human" or about "courage" and "curiosity about others", which brings us back to what management really is: interaction between human beings! Something that most managers have a tendency to forget!--Laurent Camus, Directeur de la Formation, MBDA

This is a crucial and absolutely practical book. It understands the nature of how vital the attachment emotion of trust is in organisations, without which no leader can engage the energies of the best people pulling in the same direction.--Professor Paul Brown, previously Visiting Professor in Organisational Neuroscience, London South Bank University and in Individual and Organisational Psychology, Nottingham Law School

You would struggle to find conversations that are more important than those that are so expertly explored in this book. 5 Conversations offers a powerful and practical set of strategies for getting to the heart of workplace performance.--Robin Ryde, business author

5 Conversations demonstrates not only the power that quality conversations can have in the professional workspace for leaders, peers and employees alike - but also how much personal confidence and satisfaction can be gained from the art of good conversation - something that can be easily lost in our era of mobile, email and internet.--Kirsten Cox, VP Marketing EMEA, VMware

From the Publisher