AWARDED BEST BOOK IN MANAGEMENT for 2009 by 800 CEO-READ
Rated #5 BEST BUSINESS BOOK for 2009 by Toronto’s The Globe and Mail
_________________________________________________________________
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. In this book you will:
- Explore how even small changes in the way you talk can produce extraordinarily positive outcomes
- Learn how to get maximum results from four types of conversations that are used every day
- Discover how to put the four conversations into practice through sample dialogues and personal stories
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. The Fords 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. 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.
Listen to 800-CEO-READ Podcast with Jeffrey Ford, co-author of The Four Conversations:
Todd Sattersten, CEO of 800-CEO-READ, interviewed Jeffrey about The Four Conversations. Click here to listen to that interview.
Another important link:
Read What Others Have to Say:
- Lisa Haneberg of Management Craft
