The Four Conversations: Daily Communication That Gets Results
Should be required reading for managers!
As a manager I have read several different books to assist with communication. They are often filled with complex charts and theories and are problematic in both theory and execution. The Four Conversations is not one of those books! This is probably the single most effective communication tool I have used.
At work, I have started to experiment with the different conversations. I have been able to identify where my communication was ineffective, and how I am contributing to entertaining the excuses for poor performance and missed deadlines. I will say that in the short time I have been using the 4 conversations, I have gotten what I wanted earlier. I would say that so far I am saving myself at minimum of 2-4 hours a week. Making the expectations clear and getting good promises has been the biggest help, along with having the closure conversations and acknowledging what has not been done.
Not only useful in my professional life, The Four Conversations have been effective in my personal life as well My wife always "loves" when I read a new communication book. Occasionally, she will say "So what wondrous book are you reading now?" Applying this book to communication with my wife has made for a happier home as well! Instead of thinking that she should know what I want, I have been more direct in communication at home. On a side note, this has been one book I have read that she has not minded. (very effective!)
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is interested in increasing the effectiveness of their communication either personally or professionally. I believe this should be required reading for anyone who manages others in an organization.
- J. Gilbert "JGILB" (Columbus, OH)
Great Book to Improve Productive Communication
I recently had the pleasure of having Dr. Ford as a professor. In addition to having him for class, I also read "The Four Conversations". Personally, I was concerned that the materials would be fluffy, complex, and difficult to incorporate into everyday life. However, "The Four Conversations" was refreshingly different from previous class work and materials I have been exposed to on the subject.
"The Four Conversations", much like Doctor Ford's other materials, focuses on cutting through the complexity of communication to get at simple and effective strategies for communication improvement. After reading the book, I feel more confident about the way I use communication. Through my understanding of the different types of conversations, I realized I was using too much of a certain type of conversation. While I felt I was more than adequately expressing myself, I was not getting the results I desired. In other areas, I neglected conversations that were required to get the desired results. Knowing the different conversations, and when to use them, has allowed me to reduce unproductive communication and increase productive communication.
Overall, I would recommend "The Four Conversations" to anyone looking to improve the way they communicate. It provides a powerful way to look at communication in a framework that is simple enough to retain and use in everyday life.
- Marc Urlich
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