Plan Important Conversations

How many conversations have you taken the time to plan today?

Leaders conduct highly important conversations. While we can sometimes do that on the fly, what about those conversations that require deeper thinking? What about those conversations when the people we want to be most communicative with resist our thinking or our message?

Those deeper conversations benefit from planning.

What do we plan? Here are some areas of planning that I've found useful:

The goal of the conversation - Is it just to touch base? Are you trying to influence the other person? Do you need to reach agreement on a next action? Be sure to set a goal (I'd recommend a goal with these three elements: an action word, the result that you want, and the time involved).
Transition time - It's often jarring to be thrust into a conversation unexpectedly. Create some transitional topic or ice-breaker to transition into your deeper conversation. Small talk works here, but make it more personal than the weather or the latest sports outcome.
Agreements - part of my CLUES to Success formula for building great conversations is creating agreements. These can be simple but don't skip them. What kind of agreements? For example, how long the conversation will last, where the conversation will take place, how you'd like to interact (my favorite is "respect each other") and what 's the goal.

Here's those CLUES to Success;

Create agreements

Listen with curiosity

Understand the facts and feelings

Express yourself clearly and positively

Share responsibility for success

Not only are these effective as part of your conversation, but you could make them your agreements during the conversation. Even if it feels awkward at first, the more people are exposed to and practice these CLUES to Success the more likely they are to utilize them productively. And, when they are used productivity there's no limit to what you can accomplish in a shared dialogue.

Do you plan your conversations? Should you plan your next important, deeper conversation?

--- Doug Smith

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