A key part of achieving great results in the workplace is unlocking the power of conversations. That’s the focus of the recent Personal Development Webinar presented by Aubrey Warren.
“When you think about it, many projects, initiatives, ideas, strategies, changes in directions, reassurances, new quests, and journeys begin with conversations and they’re supported and sustained through conversations as well,” Aubrey said.
Aubrey says that connection and communication plays a crucial role in effective collaboration and achieving results.
“Collaboration is an outcome in many ways. We may think of collaboration as being the process through which we get to an outcome and result.”
“But collaboration itself is an important outcome and it’s an outcome of the quality of communication that we have.”
“So. it’s important for us to think about conversations as an important tool for that initial connection as well as the communication and collaboration that we often focus more attention on.”
Aubrey highlighted ‘Power Ups’ that can be used “to improve the quality of our communication and leadership as part of our EQ.”
He talked about the importace of making space for conversations “keep people connected and to [improve] the quality of…communication”.
“If we want to have conversations that are powerful, we need to create space for them and to see conversations not as an interruption…[or] distraction but as core work in knowledge creation [as well as] in connection and collaboration.
Aubrey also highlighted the importance of acknowledgment and appreciation, listening, and asking questions during conversations.
“Google…have been tracking their high performing teams over about 15 years now through project Aristotle unsurprisingly their highest performing teams send lots of signals of acknowledgement and appreciation because it’s a part of psychological safety.”
“Listening fulfills that basic need for people to have a sense of being understood and that’s something that we all crave…That enables us to feel part of the groups.”
“The ability to ask good questions goes hand in hand with the ability to learn… [If] you ask people questions about themselves and what they think, you become more likable as well. People feel more respected they feel more heard they feel more valued.”
Furthermore, Aubrey explains that conversations can be boosted through having a frame of mind rooted in possibilities (rather than negativity) and telling stories.
“An opportunity we have in…[making] conversations [is] not to deny the challenges but to reframe them as possibilities…The reality is that inside every uncertainty there’s also possibility.”
“One of the ways that we explore possibility that we create…stories.”
“Peppering our conversations with stories is one way to be really interesting, really memorable, and to help people make real change and stronger connections with us.”
Finally, Aubrey highlighted the power of follow-up if we want to “nurture and nourish the connections that we have”.
“Follow-ups can take many forms. It can be a handwritten note, [a] simple acknowledgement, reassurance, [or] a noticing of what people have done.”
AfMA’s free Personal Development Series is sponsored by Isuzu UTE. Our next webinar, INTRAPRENEURSHIP: A Fresh Perspective on Elevating Your Role & Brand Value, is on 15th September 2022 at 12 noon. You can register by clicking this link.
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