Authentic Conversations
Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment
(Sprache: Englisch)
Authentic Conversations takes a radical new look at the potentially transformational role of workplace conversations. Through over twenty-five years of work as organizational consultants, Maren and James Showkier have discovered that conversation has the...
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Authentic Conversations takes a radical new look at the potentially transformational role of workplace conversations. Through over twenty-five years of work as organizational consultants, Maren and James Showkier have discovered that conversation has the power to create, sustain or change organizational culture. But much of the time the kind of organizational culture these conversations sustain is one that stymies growth and erodes commitment. The problem is an organizational culture based on a kind of parent-child model, with leaders treating employees as children who needed caretaking and protecting The Showkeirs advocate instead authentic conversations that are based on an adult-adult model. In these conversations participants tell the truth, let go of the illusion of control, and view each other as in charge of their own motivation. The result is a conversation revolution that creates greater commitment, real accountability for results, and improved organizational performance.
Klappentext zu „Authentic Conversations “
In this groundbreaking new book, Jamie and Maren Showkeir take something people typically think of as merely functional ordinary conversation and show how it can lead to a workforce that is engaged and energized or to one that is alienated and uninspired. All too often workplace conversations create what the authors call parent-child relationships. People hide facts, sugarcoat reality, and claim helplessness to try to control the interaction and get what they want. The Showkeirs demonstrate how we can move to honest and authentic interactions: adult conversations that create increased commitment, true accountability, and improved business performance. They offer examples of parent-child and adult-adult workplace conversations in a variety of settings and provide a hands-on guide, including sample scripts, for dealing with a host of potentially difficult conversations.
Lese-Probe zu „Authentic Conversations “
The Dangerous Book for Adults We were consulting with a large East Coast newspaper grappling with a multimillion-dollar shortfall and the plagues of the industry in general: declining circulation, shrinking advertising revenue, and increasing newsprint prices. The problems of this newspaper were compounded by changes in the region s demographics, which raised questions about whether the paper s content was relevant to the readers in their market. Layoffs seemed inevitable. Hundreds were likely to lose their jobs.
In preparation for a large group meeting about the crisis, we followed the publisher for an entire day as he met with small groups of employees from advertising, circulation, production, and the newsroom. Everyone asked similar questions: What are you going to do about this crisis, Joe? How are you going to fix it? They complained about being unable to be productive because they were so stressed about the possibility of losing their jobs. They angrily told Joe they blamed him and other senior managers for getting us into this mess and demanded to know what he was going to do about it.
Joe encouraged the employees to focus on the long term. We will get reestablished, he assured them. We will develop new strategies to build circulation and advertising. We will find ways to make our stories more relevant to readers. We are negotiating with corporate for leniency regarding the profit demands. All day long, we heard him give one reassuring message after another: Don t worry, I m going to make you safe. Don t worry, senior leaders will take care of it.
Joe was a bright, capable, and caring man. He was passionate about his job and committed to his employees. He wanted to do the right things. But in our estimation, he was saying all the wrong things. His conversations were making the situation worse. By making promises he couldn t possibly keep and sending a message to employees that they were off the hook for resolving a difficult situation, he
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was exacerbating the problems the company faced.
We gave him our frank assessment of the damage he had been doing. Joe, obviously taken aback, was thoughtful and silent as he contemplated our feedback.
We ll get back to Joe s story, but first let s look at why we paid such close attention to the conversations he was having with the newspaper s employees.
Conversations Create Culture
James A. Autry, businessman, author, and poet, says, We do make things true by what we say. Things and people are what we call them, because in the simplest terms, we are what we say, and others are what we say about them.
Simply put, a conversation is an exchange between two or more individuals, but that simple definition obscures a conversation s complexity. Words and language are powerful tools, and conversations are so commonplace in our daily lives that we don t pause to contemplate their inherent power.
First, conversations reveal what we see in the world and what meaning we attach to what we see. Second, as Autry says, we name things and create reality. Third, we invite others to see what we see, the way we see it. And fourth, through conversations we either sustain or change the meaning of what we see. All these things play a commanding role in creating and defining an organization s culture.
The term culture refers to the universal capacity that human beings have to classify, codify, and communicate their experiences symbolically. In other words, culture dictates our beliefs, behavior, language, and social interaction. Nonverbal communication and unwritten rules play a large role here.
Edgar Schein, a professor at the MIT Sloan School for management and the man credited with coining the term corporate
We gave him our frank assessment of the damage he had been doing. Joe, obviously taken aback, was thoughtful and silent as he contemplated our feedback.
We ll get back to Joe s story, but first let s look at why we paid such close attention to the conversations he was having with the newspaper s employees.
Conversations Create Culture
James A. Autry, businessman, author, and poet, says, We do make things true by what we say. Things and people are what we call them, because in the simplest terms, we are what we say, and others are what we say about them.
Simply put, a conversation is an exchange between two or more individuals, but that simple definition obscures a conversation s complexity. Words and language are powerful tools, and conversations are so commonplace in our daily lives that we don t pause to contemplate their inherent power.
First, conversations reveal what we see in the world and what meaning we attach to what we see. Second, as Autry says, we name things and create reality. Third, we invite others to see what we see, the way we see it. And fourth, through conversations we either sustain or change the meaning of what we see. All these things play a commanding role in creating and defining an organization s culture.
The term culture refers to the universal capacity that human beings have to classify, codify, and communicate their experiences symbolically. In other words, culture dictates our beliefs, behavior, language, and social interaction. Nonverbal communication and unwritten rules play a large role here.
Edgar Schein, a professor at the MIT Sloan School for management and the man credited with coining the term corporate
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Inhaltsverzeichnis zu „Authentic Conversations “
DEDICATIONFOREWORD by Margaret J. Wheatley
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION The Dangerous Book for Adults
CHAPTER 1 Revolutionary Conversations for Results
CHAPTER 2 Relationships That Don t Work at Work
CHAPTER 3 The Myth of Holding Others Accountable
CHAPTER 4 You Can t Make All the 4th Graders Happy
CHAPTER 5 Hostages to Disappointment
CHAPTER 6 Change the Conversation, Change the Culture
CHAPTER 7 Moving from Manipulation to Engagement
CHAPTER 8 Stop Courting the Cynic
CHAPTER 9 Cutting the Ties That Bind
CHAPTER 10 Declaration of Interdependence
CHAPTER 11 Open Season Remove the Camouflage!
CONCLUSION Starting the Revolution
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO AUTHENTIC Conversations
Suggestions for Getting Started
Facing a Difficult Issue
Seeking an Exception
Proposing Change
Introducing a Mandate
Renegotiating an Established Relationship
Initiating Endings
Dealing with Individual Performance
A Radical Performance-Appraisal Approach
Creating Your Own Authentic Conversations
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ABOUT henning-Showkeir & associates, inc.
Autoren-Porträt von James Showkeir
James and Maren Showkeir are principals of henning-showkeir & associates, inc., whose clients include 3M, Ford Motor Company, Kaiser Permanente, British Airways, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Levi Strauss, the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, and the Nature Conservancy.James and Maren Showkeir are principals of henning-showkeir & associates, inc., whose clients include 3M, Ford Motor Company, Kaiser Permanente, British Airways, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Levi Strauss, the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, and the Nature Conservancy.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: James Showkeir
- 2008, 240 Seiten, Maße: 14,5 x 20,7 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: McGraw-Hill Professional
- ISBN-10: 1576755959
- ISBN-13: 9781576755952
- Erscheinungsdatum: 23.10.2008
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
After thirty-five years working in newspapers and nine more as a school readiness advocate, I wished I had read this book decades ago. It would have helped so much. Its basic theme of honest, respectful conversations is the answer to so much in business and in life. David Lawrence Jr., President, The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, and retired publisher, The Miami Herald
The Showkeirs have written a book that gives us the tools for conversations that can help us create a shared purpose and the future we hope for. This authentic approach is essential not only for business results but for any conversation that is important to you.
Nancy Light, Senior Associate Director of Philanthropy, The Nature Conservancy, Maine Chapter
This book is for everyone, from the CEO to the everyday employee, who is serious about working in an organization in which every person has a deep personal commitment to the success of the business. The concepts and practical steps outlined in this book are easy to under- stand and are a genuine source of sustainable competitive advantage. This book offers us hope.
Jim Burke, Regional Director of Human Resources, Asia Pacific, Watson Wyatt Worldwide
If you believe that conversations change the world and if you have a passion for organizations that work, you will want this book. This book has the combination of relevance, inspiration, and actionable steps that I seek in books.
John Schuster, Principal, Schuster Kane Alliance, and author of The Power of Open-Book Management and Answering Your Call
This book is about sharing the truth with each other in ways that build effective relationships and improve business results. It is not a fairy tale but an honest, hard-hitting book. And it s not just for lead- ers or managers it is for everyone in your organization. If you want to compete successfully in the world marketplace, you need Authentic Conversations.
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Dr. Kent M. Keith, CEO, Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, and author of Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments
I can t remember the last time I was this excited about a book on corporate cultures and leadership. Authentic Conversations gets to the heart of what is really going on in organizations, presents persuasive business reasons for change, and puts forth a proven strategy to get on with unleashing the organization s buried and dormant core potential. It left me wanting more.
Patrick J. Banks, PhD, President, Banks International, LLC
The Showkeirs take on using conversations for cultural transformation is refreshing and eminently logical. They challenge much of the conventional wisdom about managing people. This book teaches us how to intrinsically inspire individuals to choose to succeed.
Bob Gremillion, Executive Vice President, Tribune Publishing Company
The Showkeirs new book envisions organizations where employees treat each other as business partners, colleagues, and trusted advisors, allowing the wisdom of the organization to emerge. For leaders ready to share power in order to build an organization that is stronger, more responsive, more flexible, and more focused on serving customers, this book is a field manual for changing cultures. It is a must read.
Melvin D. Dowdy, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Organizational Excellence, Bon Secours Richmond Health System
Authentic Conversations is one of the most important books I ve read in years. It makes a compelling case for the great benefits both for people and for organizations that can come from engaging in true conversation.
Larry C. Spears, President and CEO, The Spears Center for Servant-Leadership, Inc.
Authentic Conversations gives us a chance to renew and revive a lost art and essential foundational element so our society can be viable. Additionally, this book gives us models for how to have conversations for those who have never been exposed to an authentic conversation.
Corwin Harper, Senior Vice President/Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente
I can t remember the last time I was this excited about a book on corporate cultures and leadership. Authentic Conversations gets to the heart of what is really going on in organizations, presents persuasive business reasons for change, and puts forth a proven strategy to get on with unleashing the organization s buried and dormant core potential. It left me wanting more.
Patrick J. Banks, PhD, President, Banks International, LLC
The Showkeirs take on using conversations for cultural transformation is refreshing and eminently logical. They challenge much of the conventional wisdom about managing people. This book teaches us how to intrinsically inspire individuals to choose to succeed.
Bob Gremillion, Executive Vice President, Tribune Publishing Company
The Showkeirs new book envisions organizations where employees treat each other as business partners, colleagues, and trusted advisors, allowing the wisdom of the organization to emerge. For leaders ready to share power in order to build an organization that is stronger, more responsive, more flexible, and more focused on serving customers, this book is a field manual for changing cultures. It is a must read.
Melvin D. Dowdy, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Organizational Excellence, Bon Secours Richmond Health System
Authentic Conversations is one of the most important books I ve read in years. It makes a compelling case for the great benefits both for people and for organizations that can come from engaging in true conversation.
Larry C. Spears, President and CEO, The Spears Center for Servant-Leadership, Inc.
Authentic Conversations gives us a chance to renew and revive a lost art and essential foundational element so our society can be viable. Additionally, this book gives us models for how to have conversations for those who have never been exposed to an authentic conversation.
Corwin Harper, Senior Vice President/Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente
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