The Art of Successful Conversation
How to create successful relationships in business, politics and life despite political or philosophical differences.
Hello and Welcome!
You are no doubt here because you received an email invitation from a group you attend, or because someone you know told you about us. Either way, you are here because someone cares about your social and political effectiveness. And so do you!
Whatever your circumstances, whatever you are hoping to accomplish, you have something important at stake and you can't get there all by yourself. You need to get the cooperation of others; you need to have successful conversations with people whose views differ from yours.
Getting you there is what we do.
Available online via Skype to groups of 6 or more
That's all I need to hear; sign me up!
The Personal Benefits
We mentioned both your social and political effectiveness above. That's an important point.
The second half of the workshop is geared to socio-political applications. And that may be the focus of the invitation you received to come here and learn about the workshop. However, the refined basic communications skills you'll master in the first half will prove invaluable to every conversation you'll ever have going forward. In every part of your life.
That's because we're going to break a conversation down into communication basics and short practice exercises in a way you've probably never seen before. You're not just going to hear about communication and how important it is. You're going to practice each part of it and experience for yourself how powereful each part is. You will also realize how easy intentional conversation really is.
There's also a section discussing the differences between, and the common values among, the opposing socio-political factions of our time. And more than that: it will also expose the inconsistencies in both (all three?) sides so they can be accommodated and corrected. You might have a moment or two of discomfort as we go through that, but you'll go away from it with your integrity greatly restored.
In just a couple of hours you're going to experience a new understanding of communication. As you master the parts they will effortlessly fall together into a whole, and from that point forward the communication method they describe will be part of your natural interaction with everyone in your life.
For the personal side of your life, the Shared Values Dialogue is just the icing on the cake that gives you a framework for developing partnerships, relationships, and deep lasting bonds with people.
This means that aside from your political efforts to secure the better future you desire, you will also become increasingly more successful at securing your family, your personal and professional relationships, and your own financial future.
As you effortlessly apply your new communication skills you will experience...
- greatly enhanced effectiveness on the job or getting a job
- closing new customers for your business
- forging new partnerships and strengthening existing relationships
- more easily negotiating challenging situations of all types
- increased awareness of your own potential in all things
- improved personal and professional consistency
- an impressively expanded sense of integrity
- greater respect and receptivity from the people you deal with
- a more stable and results-justified confidence going forward
- increased awareness of the true potential in other people and opportunities
- an expanding achievement horizon that will reinforce your economic security
Once you get into that new groove, don't be surprised to discover that things you once found difficult now seem to evaporate as if by magic. With a little dedication and a touch of luck, you may begin to experience regularly the things that support the idea that Chance favors the prepared mind!
And that's just the personal benefits!
No, this is not fantasy--it's just how important and powerful it is to have great communication and interaction skills.
But wait! There's more! {{smile}}
That's good enough; sign me up!
The Political Stuff
Have you...
- felt like no one is listening to you?
- had difficulty understanding how some people could believe the things they do?
- wanted a better way to find common ground with people from other political or social philosophies?
Would you like to...
- be understood by people from other perspectives?
- better understand where they are coming from?
- know how to work with their motivations?
- maybe even bring them around to your solutions?
- be more comfortable going into any conversation?
- expand your role in changing things for the better?
- quickly and effectively improve your communication skills?
Quite simply, politics has to do with the issues of citizenship: duties, responsibilities, and liberty.
The word comes from the Greek polis, "citizen". Not just any person, but a citizen, a voter. Not everyone in ancient Greece was a citizen. Citizenship was a privileged status and came with well-understood obligations.
Of course here in the United States citizenship is a birthright, so it's all too easy for Americans to neglect or not even understand the rights and duties thereof.
Nevertheless, politics is the contest among people who disagree as to societal meaning, structure, conduct, and solutions.
Yet those objects are just the surface of the issues. Most people never realize that the contest itself is not directly controlled by the visible parts of the issues, but by what lies below them.
It's all about values
All choices and decisions are come to through value judgements. Every position anyone adopts, every meaningful action anyone takes. No matter what the issue, there will be at least one personally important value in play for each of us.
Moreover, in politics (and marriage and business), every person always has two key values underpinning any issue. The first value is generally obvious and specific to the issue. The second is subtle and generalized. In most cases, one of these is positive or constructive and the other is negative or troublesome.
Identify the values involved, and you have the keys to intelligent discussion. Skip over them and there's nothing left but argument.
Wow... I'm in!
The Shared Values Dialogue
The Shared Values Dialogue is a conversational approach to the discussion of issues which is designed to identify and correlate each person's key values in the discussion. Its objective is find the bases for mutually acceptable solutions. Done well, it always results in one or both of the participants experiencing a change of perspective.
Note that this approach isn't particularly helpful for pushing an agenda. This is because most agendas are neither well thought out nor entirely self-consistent, while the Shared Values Dialogue is designed to cut through faulty thinking no matter which side is doing it.
More Good News
Most people are surprised to find that they share at least one value in any issue. Even if each person has other values influencing their points of view, the one or two values they hold in common is a powerful starting point. Once the common motivating value has been acknowledged, it is enough of a bond to hold a skilled conversation together long enough to expand the common ground.
Shared values are the basis of any opportunity to persuade. And to be moved personally--to grow as an individual in society with others, and to extend one's outreach to and success with them.
The Shared Values Dialogue is intended for use in exploring social and political issues in order to create or increase understanding between people whose orientations are different. Just identifying the fact that you share some important values will increase your mutual respect. That by itself can lead to discovering shared interests and support codevelopment of new solutions.
It even smooths out communication in marriage, in business, and in trying to get through to teenagers!
Once you and your opponent have established that to some degree you are both striving for the same fundamental object, you will discover a previously hidden opportunity for real communication.
Then all you need to know is the second key value. And how to deal with the package.
That's what I need!
Bring it all together
To be truly effective, you need to know the process.
In this workshop you will learn...
- the basics of real give-and-take communication
- how the parts of a conversation work together...or not...and why
- the most common communication errors and how to avoid falling victim to them
- the differences between liberal and conservative mindsets
- the two key values in every political issue
The Art of Successful Conversation workshop is serious skills training. It teaches The Shared Values Dialogue, a state-of-the-art conversational technique.
You will discover, depending on where you are now,
- conservatives - how to understand a liberal
- liberals - how to make sense to a conservative
- libertarians - how to be taken seriously
- facists - how to care about people
- everyone - the path to cooperation without compromise
You will receive
- coaching
- practice
- optional continuing education
You will achieve
- a kinder more successful conversational style
- greater acceptance in broader circles
- increased social and political influence
Who?
Anyone whose future or purpose depends on successful persuasion will benefit from this workshop.
That's me! Sign me up!
What?
The Art of Successful Conversation Workshop
the acclaimed training to build the conversational skillset you need.
When?
Saturday, June 25th from 9:00AM to 4:00PM
Lunch is included and will be served onsite at Noon.
Where?
Cactus Jack's, in the banquet room
(formerly Players & Spectators Entertainment Center)
12828 East Sprague Avenue, Spokane Washington 99216
(also known as the bowling alley and casino behind the bank)
How Much?
$49 per person in advance online
(your email receipt is your ticket)
$59 per person at the door
(because the last-minute menu expansion costs extra)
And...?
Bonus: At the end of the workshop we'll tell you how you can receive continuing education to reinforce and extend your new skills.
Questions?
Contact Allen Hacker, workshop developer and organizer
(208) 627-8409
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