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