Unleashing the power of understanding first for better relationships and returns
The Effective Conversation programme is a clear 5-step process that anyone can understand and apply to any conversation and achieve powerful results.
These steps aren’t about becoming a more effective ‘communicator’, but about becoming a more effective relationship-builder – with colleagues, customers and suppliers.
Committing to applying the 5 steps of Effective Conversation will:
Get in touch to find out more about the Effective Conversation programme for organisations.
A client who recently went through the programme highlighted the following results from the many benefits they noticed:
It has enabled us to learn together and have a very constructive process of building that relationship without any tension. So in terms of a new team performing it has been brilliant.
Adele Madin, Director of operations
East Coast Community Healthcare CIC
I think the revelation for me and for all of us was that it wasn't just the big conflict stuff, it was the little areas of discomfort. It's the going into a meeting and thinking, 'Oh not really looking forward to this. Why do I feel apprehensive? What is it about?' And you don't know. So what this course did was give me a framework.
Alison Hopkins, Chief Executive
Accelerate CIC
It made me much more open, to say, 'Well, the answer to relationships that aren't that good, is not to avoid them, it's to actually develop them. Be open to them.' And they're the most important relationships, maybe, that need to be tended to. It's going to make a massive difference to the whole organisation...if we all can get on board, it is going to be an amazing place to work.
Michelle Brammeier, Catalyst Way Director
Catalyst Choices CIC
One of the things that I personally hadn't anticipated was that a number of us on the course were able to put this into practice in our clinical work, and gain results that are probably better than we would've got previously.
Jonathan Parsons, Managing Director
Chime Healthcare
It’s not like you complete the course and that’s it. This is about giving you the tools that will then stay with you as you work in your own organisation and beyond. So for me I think it’s something I certainly want other members of the team to go through.
Sarah Cook, CEO
Home-Start HOST
I think it's fundamental to everything we do. I think managing relationships between people who use our services, people who deliver services, and people who fund or design services is imperative to getting things right for individuals...At work, it's allowed me to challenge some of the issues that I've been having with people and actually confront some of the problems that I've had in terms of building better relationships with people.
Jason Joseph, Transformation and Change Mental Health lead
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
I can see how it will cascade into team meetings and make them more meaningful, give everyone a better input. So I think it will change things quite a bit.
Anna Trotter, Operations Manager
Chime Healthcare
By following the steps one by one and building them through consistent practice in everyday situations you'll soon see difficult conversations transformed into effective ones.
1. Plan
Plan the conversation to intentionally make it an effective one.
2. Clarify
By understanding first, before looking to be understood.
3. Assess
Your attitude and mindset before responding in order to keep open to possibility.
4. Respond
Through effectively challenging and accepting challenge to maximise value.
5. Summarise
The conversation and agree next steps.
Get in touch to find out more about how your team can gain these five steps through the Effective Conversation programme for organisations.
Expertly designed
Much of the thinking behind the key elements of Effective Conversation stems from the work of Carl Rogers, usually considered to be the father of person-centred psychotherapy, and psychologist Gerald Egan whose book The Skilled Helper has become the standard text for anyone wanting to develop counselling skills.
Their ideas were then developed by Peter Osborn and Eddy Canfor-Dumas, co-authors of The Talking Revolution, a book seeking to adapt the insights of Rogers and Egan for everyday conversational use..
Eddy Canfor-Dumas also edited and co-wrote Understand to Prevent: the military contribution to the prevention of violent conflict – a ground-breaking, multinational project on how the military could combine a deep understanding of the causes of conflict with many of these same human-centred approaches to prevent violence, promote dialogue, enhance security and support conflict resolution/transformation.
Bubble Chamber CIC started working closely with Peter and Eddy in 2015 to design and deliver materials and programmes to help individuals and organisations have more effective conversations.
