The Four Conversations: Daily Communication That Gets Results
Talk is powerful. Engaging in the right conversation at the right time is key to both personal and organizational success. And it isn’t just ‘difficult’ conversations that matter. The Four Conversations clearly demonstrates it is the everyday dialogue we have with one another that is critical. Armed with a solid body of research and their own first-hand observations, Jeffrey and Laurie Ford identify four types of conversations that every one of us must use to get things done: initiative conversations to introduce something new; understanding conversations to help people relate to new ideas or processes; performance conversations to request specific actions and results; and closure conversations to complete work and give people a sense of accomplishment . They identify the specific elements that make each of these conversations successful and show how they can be put together in different ways to achieve different objectives. The Four Conversations demonstrates how to use the right conversation at the right time—planning and starting each one well, and finishing every conversation effectively—to produce the results we want and the improved productivity our organizations need. And through dozens of personal stories and sample dialogues, the authors illustrate how real people in real situations have used the four conversations, either alone or in combination, to more effectively combat common workplace problems and lay the foundations for enduring success: stronger relationships, better buy-in, and a greater feeling of personal and professional achievement for everyone.
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The Four Conversations: Daily Communication That Gets Results
Talk is powerful. Engaging in the right conversation at the right time is key to both personal and organizational success. And it isn’t just ‘difficult’ conversations that matter. The Four Conversations clearly demonstrates it is the everyday dialogue we have with one another that is critical. Armed with a solid body of research and their own first-hand observations, Jeffrey and Laurie Ford identify four types of conversations that every one of us must use to get things done: initiative conversations to introduce something new; understanding conversations to help people relate to new ideas or processes; performance conversations to request specific actions and results; and closure conversations to complete work and give people a sense of accomplishment . They identify the specific elements that make each of these conversations successful and show how they can be put together in different ways to achieve different objectives. The Four Conversations demonstrates how to use the right conversation at the right time—planning and starting each one well, and finishing every conversation effectively—to produce the results we want and the improved productivity our organizations need. And through dozens of personal stories and sample dialogues, the authors illustrate how real people in real situations have used the four conversations, either alone or in combination, to more effectively combat common workplace problems and lay the foundations for enduring success: stronger relationships, better buy-in, and a greater feeling of personal and professional achievement for everyone.
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The Four Conversations: Daily Communication That Gets Results

The Four Conversations: Daily Communication That Gets Results

The Four Conversations: Daily Communication That Gets Results

The Four Conversations: Daily Communication That Gets Results

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Overview

Talk is powerful. Engaging in the right conversation at the right time is key to both personal and organizational success. And it isn’t just ‘difficult’ conversations that matter. The Four Conversations clearly demonstrates it is the everyday dialogue we have with one another that is critical. Armed with a solid body of research and their own first-hand observations, Jeffrey and Laurie Ford identify four types of conversations that every one of us must use to get things done: initiative conversations to introduce something new; understanding conversations to help people relate to new ideas or processes; performance conversations to request specific actions and results; and closure conversations to complete work and give people a sense of accomplishment . They identify the specific elements that make each of these conversations successful and show how they can be put together in different ways to achieve different objectives. The Four Conversations demonstrates how to use the right conversation at the right time—planning and starting each one well, and finishing every conversation effectively—to produce the results we want and the improved productivity our organizations need. And through dozens of personal stories and sample dialogues, the authors illustrate how real people in real situations have used the four conversations, either alone or in combination, to more effectively combat common workplace problems and lay the foundations for enduring success: stronger relationships, better buy-in, and a greater feeling of personal and professional achievement for everyone.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781609944551
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date: 08/10/2009
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 200
File size: 405 KB

About the Author

Jeffrey Ford is associate professor of management in the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University in Columbus.
Laurie Ford is a consultant to managers and executives in business, government agencies, and associations on organization redesign and change implementation.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Chapter 1 Four Conversations in a Successful Workplace 1

The Importance of Conversations 3

Some Conversations Slow Things Down, Others Speed Things Up 6

Six Limitations to a Successful Workplace 22

Conversations: Your Personal Advantage 29

Key Points 29

Chapter 2 Initiative Conversations: Create a Future 31

Leaders Have Initiative Conversations 32

Choose Your Initiative Statement: What-When-Why 40

Prepare for Your Initiative Conversation: Who-Where-How 46

Launch Your Initiative Conversation 49

If You Are Missing Initiative Conversations 53

Putting It into Practice 56

Chapter 3 Understanding Conversations: Include and Engage 59

Help People Find a Positive Meaning in Your Message 60

Expand and Deepen Participation 68

The Limits of Understanding 82

If You Are Missing Understanding Conversations 90

Putting It into Practice 94

Chapter 4 Performance Conversations: Ask and Promise 97

Commit to Performance: What-When-Why 99

Ask Others to Commit 105

Promises Create Agreements: Who-Where-How 112

Manage the Agreement 120

If You Are Missing Performance Conversations 123

Putting It into Practice 127

Chapter 5 Closure Conversations: Create Endings 131

An Incomplete Past Can Prevent a New Future 132

The Four A's of Closure Conversations 134

Build Accountability and Resolve "People Problems" 150

If You Are Missing Closure Conversations 160

Putting It into Practice 163

Chapter 6 Using the Four Conversations 167

Conversational Tendencies 167

How the Four Conversations Work Together 169

Putting It into Practice 197

Chapter 7 Support the Conversational Workplace 201

The ConversationalWorkplace 201

Practices to Support the Conversational Workplace 203

Implementing the Practices: Four Tips 211

A Closing Note 215

Resources 217

Notes 219

Acknowledgments 223

Index 225

About the Authors 237

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