Increase productivity and innovation with the Better Conversations course

What makes this course different?

Better Conversations is suited to anyone or any team that wants to free themselves from the confines of poor communication. If you’re ever faced with frustration, confusion, conflict or conversations that fail to achieve their objectives, we can help. We found an approach that worked for us. And we want to share it with you.

The course was developed for our sister technology company to facilitate communication in our teams and with our customers. That's why we understand the damage that poor communication can have on productivity and profitability. It also gets in the way of being a happy, focused and effective business.

Here are a few of the results we've gained from applying the skills:

Higher productivity

Simply, more stuff gets done in less time because we can cut out the time wasted due to misunderstandings

Clarity

A clearer focus on projects and tasks, what needs to be done and how these might be achieved together

Robust solutions

Fast learning, improved ideation and innovation because we can challenge each other safely

Improved teamwork

Better collaboration and accountability to ensure things get done well

Better relationships

Our team and customer relationships have improved through greater understanding and respect for other people's views and experiences

Resilience

We support people to work at their best and have the conversations that encourage reflection and development

con·ver·sa·tion

noun

a talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged

We've designed this course for busy people (like us)

We developed Better Conversations for people in the business world who need to work with others to perform well in their roles, but you’ll find the benefits apply just as well in your personal life.

Our experience showed us that the path to better conversations had to be simple and practical, otherwise it just wouldn’t be effective.

Online

Remote worker-friendly: join us online from home or the office

1 hour

Modules to fit your schedule and the flexibility to switch to other available sessions if you need it

6 modules

Content is structured into easily digestible chunks over six modules

Interactive

Learn from insights into your own and other people's experiences

Practical

Practice in session and immediately apply the skills at work and home

Resources

Use the course materials to review and reflect on your learning

What will you learn?

Sessions are a mixture of instruction and practice. You’ll notice the time passes quickly!

You’ll able to contact us between sessions with any questions you might have and put what you’ve learned to work with some practical “fieldwork” in between sessions, if you’d like.

You need a computer, a headset or headphones and a microphone, and an Internet connection. We recommend you join us from a quiet place where you have privacy and no distractions.

Module 1: State

How do your thoughts and feelings affect your conversations?

Our thoughts and feelings - what we call "state" - can have a huge impact on conversations. In this module we’ll work through a simple model to help you understand your state. By the end of the hour you’ll be able to identify, name, communicate your state clearly and realise the impact that it has on conversations before they even start.

Module 2: Assumptions

What are you making up when you are in a conversation?

The human brain is an incredible thing. The level of detail it can invent in the absence of, or sometimes even in spite of evidence is staggering. In this module you’ll become aware of assumptions you and others may unconsciously be making and explore their potential impact on your communications.

Module 3: Context

How do you bring meaning to a conversation?

Although we may not realise it, we all bring our personal history, emotions, expectations and more into our communications. You will understand how you bring meaning to your conversations and that impacts communications.

Module 4: Listening with Curiosity

How can you influence a conversation?

Language is incredibly powerful and used right, it can dial back difficult situations and allow you to communicate in a really effective way. Discover how a few simple questions combined with a new way of listening can instantly diffuse conflict and get to the heart of any issue without emotions and assumptions muddying the water.

Module 5: Effective Feedback

How do you feedback your views more effectively?

Listening and responding are the two dynamics of a conversation. Whilst we can learn to listen well, there are times where we need to make our perspective known. One situation where frustrations and misunderstandings are common is where feedback is given and received. In this module we will explore a simple way to approach feedback, taking what we have learnt about state, assumptions and context into account.

Module 6: Preparing for Better Conversations

What will make a conversation go well for you?

In this module we’ll bring our full Better Conversations toolkit together and practice putting it into action so you’re comfortable using the new techniques you have at your disposal so you start using and benefiting from them immediately. This is also a great time to address any remaining questions you might have.

What do people tell us after taking the course?

We have extensively tested and refined the programme, over several years. Read these reviews from some of our attendees

Peter - MD, Material Handling Equipment

"Learning to question my own assumptions was really valuable, as was learning to really understand what's going on in a situation before you start to make judgments about who might be right or wrong."

Emma - MD, Business Serves

"All the insights I gained were startlingly unexpected and so simple. I could put them into practice straight away."

Emilie - Wholesale Business Development Manager, Healthcare

"The way the course was organised, I quite quickly felt open, confident and able to share experiences with people."

Robert - Techincal Programme Manager, Financial Services

"Some of the questions we learned were brilliant. They were so powerful but so simple, it was easy to add them to my toolbox. I can use them as easily with the kids as with colleagues."

We're not your typical trainers and consultants

We're business professionals just like you who have faced the same team communication challenges that you have. The only difference is that we've found a way to deal with them. Quickly, effectively and simply.

We've had experiences that we know you'll relate to. We know from our research that they are rife in businesses across the globe. So much so that sometimes they feel like an inescapable fact of life. But we know that change is possible and that's what inspired us to build this course.

SIMON COLES

Founder and Chair

Better Conversations grew from Simon's need to have clearer communications within his team and with customers.

Over 20 years ago, he came across a fledgling group communications approach that enabled communications to happen more effectively with less drama. He took this approach into the heart of his startup technology company.

Today that IT company is a stable, mature enterprise. Its success is built on the principles of having Better Conversations everyday.

CHANDIMA DUTTON

Director

Chandima has extensive corporate experience, managing teams to deliver strategy and business critical analysis. She developed an interest in creativity, innovation and resilience along the way. What started out as a side hustle became a new career.

Chandima is a coach and facilitator with a background in STEM who knows how to get things done in complex environments. She is Head of People at Simon's company, supporting people to be curious, and to be their unique selves at work.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you if you are interested in attending the course

OUR EMAIL:

hello@betterconversations.foundation

OUR PHONE:

(UK) +44 1344 288630

(US) +1 978 865 4333

Better Conversations is based on the pioneering Clean Language work of the late David Grove and the contributions of the many people inspired by his work.

CONTACT