What is a better conversation?

In September 2024 we had the pleasure of hosting a CMCE webinar focused on what is undoubtedly one of the most critical skills for any management consultant: the ability to communicate in a way that generates momentum with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.

We understand that many of the participants joined us at the “When Every Conversation Counts” event with a mix of curiosity and, perhaps, a touch of scepticism. After all, as seasoned consultants, many are already adept communicators - so what new insights could a discussion on the fundamentals of conversation possibly offer?

We’re pleased to share that, despite the extensive experience within the group, there was much for us to explore together. Recognising that we could only begin to delve into the topic during our limited time, we posed thought-provoking questions, ran interactive exercises, and shared our insights on what it truly takes to create conversations that build strong relationships and drive materially better outcomes.

At The Conversation Lab, we believe conversation is a skill that can be honed with practice and understanding. Like any other learnable competence, mastery comes from deeply understanding what works, capitalising on one’s key strengths, and learning new models and techniques drawn from the cumulative experience and research of experts.

During the webinar, we explored a wide range of topics that included 1. how our innate communication preferences can shape our interactions and influence our ability to connect with others, 2. how to recognize and address the various factors that can either hinder or help our conversations and 3, how to prepare and plan for conversations when possible, as well as how to demonstrate communication agility when circumstances require it.

We covered a lot of ground together and even made some new friends along the way.

If you’d like to learn more about our work or discuss any of this further, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

You can read some more of our thoughts and find our contact details here.

Graham & Kathryn, The Conversation Lab.