Table of Contents

Chapter 1—Four Conversations in a Successful Workplace

The Importance of Conversations
Some Conversations Slow Things Down, Others Speed Things Up
Six Limitations to a Successful Workplace
Conversations: Your Personal Advantage
Key Points

Chapter 2—Initiative Conversations: Create a Future

Leaders Have Initiative Conversations
Choose Your Initiative Statement: What-When-Why
Prepare for Your Initiative Conversation: Who-Where-How
Launch Your Initiative Conversation
If You Are Missing Initiative Conversations
Putting It into Practice

Chapter 3—Understanding Conversations: Include and Engage

Help People Find a Positive Meaning in Your Message
Expand and Deepen Participation
The Limits of Understanding
If You Are Missing Understanding Conversations
Putting It into Practice

Chapter 4—Performance Conversations: Ask and Promise

Commit to Performance: What-When-Why
Ask Others to Commit
Promises Create Agreements: Who-Where-How
Manage the Agreement
If You Are Missing Performance Conversations
Putting It into Practice

Chapter 5—Closure Conversations: Create Endings

An Incomplete Past Can Prevent a New Future
The Four As of Closure Conversations
Build Accountability and Resolve “People Problems”
If You Are Missing Closure Conversations
Putting It into Practice

Chapter 6—Using the Four Conversations

Conversational Tendencies
How the Four Conversations Work Together
Putting It into Practice

Chapter 7—Support the Conversational Workplace

The Conversational Workplace
Practices to Support the Conversational Workplace
Implementing the Practices: Four Tips
A Closing Note