Book

Authentic Conversations

Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment

Jamie Showkeir and Maren Showkeir

Berrett-Koehler, 2008

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A simple, honest conversation has the power to change the way your staff members think and even to shape your corporate culture. Effective work environments encourage employees to act according to their individual sense of responsibility and to pull together to make the business as good as it can be. This beats ordering people to do their best, then watching them like a hawk to make sure they don’t make mistakes. To promote a spirit of accountability among your staff members, communication and corporate-culture experts Jamie and Maren Showkeir recommend engaging them in “authentic conversations” and avoiding the parent-child discourses common in many firms. In this thoughtful, inspiring book, they explain how to foster positive conversations. getAbstract recommends it to all leaders, from top executives to human resources professionals, supervisors and coaches.

Take-Aways

Be honest and direct when you communicate with people; don’t manipulate them.
Having an “authentic conversation” is challenging, but it is worth the extra effort.
Managers often talk to their employees using a parental tone, as if their staff members were children.

About the Authors

Jamie Showkeir and Maren Showkeir are principals of a consulting firm that helps businesses create collaborative cultures that emphasize personal commitment. Their clients include major American and U.K. corporations.

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A. S. 11 months ago

Only a short section, but very useful when thinking about how to deliver those honest conversations
P. S. 2 years ago

A good read & interesting audio
H. R. 2 years ago

very interesting

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