1. Book-in-quotes series
# 5
Conversations at
Work
Promoting a Culture of
Conversation in the
Changing Workplace
Authors
Dr Tim Baker
&
Aubrey Warren

2. “In the grand scheme of things, our lives are a
network of conversations about a host of topics with
a variety of people in an array of contexts”.

3. “The clear demarcation of roles and responsibilities and the
unequal and overt power structures that supports this
unwritten contract is an anathema to considered,
constructive, and collaborative conversations”.

4. “All relationships that work are based upon
shared responsibility. Conversations are the
catalyst for developing the employment
relationship.”

5. “Attention is the price we pay for
insight, understanding, critical
thinking, learning, and successful action.”

6. “Traditional performance reviews are not what we
classify as developmental conversations; instead of
performance development, performance reviews are
essentially about performance assessment.”

7. “In addition to the five performance conversations,
opportunities abound for additional conversations
that support, acknowledge, enable, and encourage the
development of others.”

8. “Every conversation we have influences – and is
influenced by – the relationship that exists between
those in conversation. So it’s important to plan,
manage, and observe what’s
happening in conversations – our own and others”.

9. “Leaders get criticized for involving others too much
or too little
in the decision-making process; it is often hard to
strike the
right balance.”

10. “One way to think about our communication skills
is to look in
the mirror and see what our face has to tell us.
It’s a practical cue we can use every day to focus on
some powerful communication behaviors”.

11. “Listening is sometimes called ‘the neglected
communication skill’ – perhaps because it
looks easy, passive, and instinctive.
Experience tells us, however, that it’s
anything but. It takes
effort, energy, and skill to be a good listener.
But the rewards are well worth the effort.
And not only because it makes us
better communicators – effectively listening
can help other people communicate better
too”.

12. “Although our natural default position is seeing
things through our own eyes, in conversations where
there are differences of viewpoint, this is the least
helpful perspective to assume.”

13. “We don’t only listen with our ears. We can also listen
with our eyes – watching for the important nonverbal
messages
that people are sending. And this also means that we are
communicating – intentionally or otherwise – by the way we
behave.”

14. “We hear a lot about learning organizations. But
we miss a lot
of learning when we focus only on providing
answers rather
than tapping into the power of questions.”

15. “Are you or your organization maintaining an ‘edge’ by
ensuring the two-way flow of communication? Or are you
paying
‘ignorance tax’? To stay connected to your operating
environment and to tap into a team’s intelligence requires a
commitment
to creating safe, open channels of honest, immediate
information.”

16. This book is schedule for release in
September, 2015.
Go to www.winnersatwork.com.au to
get your signed copy