What conversations are you having in your business and what conversations are you avoiding?
How can you broaden your perspective and discover the richness (and beauty) your team and clients have to offer through conversation?
With the demands and pace of work, focusing on performance, deadlines, results, profit, targets, we often forget to carve out time for important conversations. There are many types of conversations a business requires and often the ones we prioritize and invest in the most are not the ones that generate shared learning, creative thinking, broadened business solutions.
Carving out time in the week to have the following conversations, with a clear intent on the table, can generate a wealth of value for you as a business owner, your team and your clients.
Client check-in: What is going on in their business beyond the work you are involved in? WHat are the market opportunities and challenges they are currently facing? How is the business relationship currently working for them? What areas need some attention and care?
Team project/ work review: What are they working on? What is the progression status? What is working? What challenges are they facing? What assistance do they need? What are the things to celebrate?
Cultural dipstick: What is the current 'temperature' of your office and team? What is the mood in the office? How is the team interacting and engaging? What two things can you do to add some movement, vitality and focus with your team? How can you 'add a fresh lick of paint' or 'bring some natural beauty' into the office?
Conversations and a sense of curiosity about the people you work with and places you work in are an essential and valuable investment for the long term sustainability of any business. It doesn't have to be every day, all the time, but make sure you put 30 minutes into your diary a few times a week. The investment will
“I’m not a formally educated storyteller; I am not a trained ambassador, I am just a conversationalist. I love having conversations with people. I’ve always seen that in connections with customers and audiences, what really helps you be genuine and transparent is having a conversation.” Louis Richardson
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