Most successes and failures have their roots firmly planted in conversations. Sometimes it’s the conversations we have, other times it’s the conversations we don’t have. Or maybe we just aren’t talking about something in the most effective way. Another conversational failure is when we don’t engage the RIGHT people in the conversation.
When we have a challenge, ask, “What conversations do we need to have?” or “What conversations did we miss?” or “Who is missing from this conversation?” It doesn’t matter how well you write your documents, plans, and procedures, if you can’t engage people in powerful conversations, you are going nowhere. Identify the conversations critical to your success and go there first.
Our addiction to technology stifles our ability to create powerful conversations. Emails, texts, and social media posts are not conversations. As a matter of fact, if you become the catalyst for conversations, it will be a key differentiator for you, your teams, and your customers.