The 3 Components of a Productive Conversation

Conversations are your biggest tool to help people create change in their life. You can incorporate things in your conversations that can cause this change. Of course there are other leadership tools to be used, but the most powerful are your conversations. Get the most out of them!

Are your conversations influencing others?

Evaluate the effectiveness of your conversations by observing if these 3 components are present.

Ownership - Your conversation should influence others to take ownership. You shouldn't take ownership by giving your opinions of what should or needs to be done. Remember, you own the ability to help others change, but you do not own the change or the outcome. They do.

Questions - Questions allow others to start thinking about what they want to do next. It causes them to consider new possibilities and directions, which they can own. This is where intentions are created. Are you asking thought-inducing questions in your conversations?

Plan - A plan should be in place after the conversation, not just an intention. Reverting back to asking questions can help others create a plan for their intentions. And once a plan is in place, they can begin executing on it!

Temporary Compliance vs. Sustainable Change

If you’re seeking compliance for what you want someone to do, you’re not helping them to change their performance. You may have improved their compliance with your idea for better performance. But this change isn’t sustainable, nor does it help this person move towards their best.

You’ll find that your conversations are most effective when you’re making sure they’re taking ownership of what happens next, you’re using questions to drive different thinking, and you’re helping them work through a plan, not create an intention.

When you have productive conversations, you become a leader that has a greater impact on everyone around you.

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