Authentic Conversations: Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment

This book takes a radical new look at the potentially transformational role of workplace conversations . Through over twenty-five years of work as organizational consultants, Maren and James Showkier have discovered that conversation has the power to create, sustain or change organizational culture. But much of the time the kind of organizational culture these conversations sustain is one that stymies growth and erodes commitment. The problem is that traditional workplace conversations reflect an organizational culture based on a kind of parent-child model, with leaders treating employees as children who needed caretaking and protecting rather than as capable adults who needed to participate in creating a successful organization and own their accountability for finding solutions. As a result, the kinds of conversations leaders have with employees, and employees have with each other, just perpetuate this dysfunctional dynamic. With this book, the Showkiers help people