R. Brian Stanfield

Have you ever not had the right words to approach a situation at work? This work, from the Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs, explains open-ended ways to approach conversations at work. It does so in a way such that the inquirer acknowledges her/his ignorance with a situation. This essentially post-industrial and postmodern approach allows teams of knowledge workers to appreciate everyone’s wisdom as they come to a consensus.

This book is divided into two parts: Communications theory and 100 example conversations. The portion on theory covers why focused conversations are needed and with what mindset one should approach them. Their general approach is one filled with respect and with the aim of gaining consensus. Instead of the (dated) idea that the manager knows “best” or “everything,” this book approaches workplaces’ social dynamics through the lens that everyone is working together on a team.

This work borrows heavily from concepts that the workplace is a learning organization. As such, good questions trump pressure. In the examples, different situations are outlined through several lens, like situation, rational objective, experimental aim, reflective questions, decisional questions, and closing. This second section serves as a great reference toolkit to borrow from as one navigates the social sphere of a work team.

This book could particularly help newer managers. This book could also help more seasoned managers trying to figure out how to work with teams that know more than them. Inquiry and humility are valued by the authors of this work.

Incidentally, a team wrote this book, not just one individual. As such, the work benefits from diverse perspectives of experts in workplace communication. It’s not quite meant to read cover-to-cover. The first section can be read in one long sitting. The second section (the examples) can be read as various situations present themselves to a worker. They are filled with good questions to ask that get to the “heart of the matter.”

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