People learn complex skills by talking about the ideas, as a way of thinking them through. These conversations have to be ongoing, a natural part of day-to-day business.

These conversations are more than gossip around the water cooler or over the desktop.

Being part of a conversation about the business idea focuses peoples’ dialogues.

It raises the level of conversation from being provincial - focusing on small, local issues - to one that considers the big picture.

What are your people trying to accomplish? What do you want people to do? Not only do they have their own specific duties, but also they are expected to act in coordinated ways so that they deliver on your brand promise.

You want them to create maximum value, while wisely using available resources, don’t you? How can they possibly accomplish that without an ongoing conversation about how they are working, as well as talking about the work itself?

In today’s organizations, everyone is expected to look beyond their job and think about ways to improve the system as a whole.

Successful working relationships, then, are a key to value creation for the company. Ultimately, because relationships center on trust, it is crucial for organizations to seek ways to establish and enhance trusting relationships.

It is only through the evolution of a trusting work culture that complex working relationships can develop.

Trust develops from a confidence based on familiarity. It requires an accurate grasp of each other’s options, assets and constraints.

Such knowledge allows you to anticipate how others will react, or to understand their choices as rational and constructive, even if they might be frustrating for you.

It allows for a predictability that encourages us to take chances, or improvise, in response to changing conditions.

This confidence is built and maintained through conversations. In the absence of dialogue, it is only a matter of time before certainty erodes, surprises occur, and confidence wanes.

Finally, today’s business environments require quick, targeted information sharing. Information has to be timely, accurate and relevant.

Traditional management has focused on how work is done within a function, but we are suggesting that it is even more important to manage the flow of information and work products across organizational boundaries.

These boundaries include:

• Across workstations, from person to person.

• Across shifts.

• Across functional areas or silos.

• Across business units.

• Across the wall between the company and the customers, and the broader marketplace.

Understanding the importance of maintaining the quality of these conversations is vital to making it happen. People need to be led to see the value in this perspective.

The leaderships’ honest, teachable point of view is the natural vehicle for achieving this goal.

Recommended Readings For Section Three:

1. Bohm, D., On Dialogue, Routledge, New York, New York, 1996.

2. Ciancutti, A., & Steding, T., “Trust Fund,” Business 2.0, June, 13, 2000.

3. Hagerty, C., & Goldberg, P., How To Manage Your Boss, Ballantine Books, Toronto, Canada, 1985.

4. Isaacs, W., Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together, Currency Doubleday, New York, New York, 1999.

5. Kegan, R., & Lahey, L.L., How The Way We Talk Can Change The Way We Work, Jossey – Bass, Inc., San Francisco, CA, 2001.

6. Nichols, R., & Stevens, L., “Listening to People.” Harvard Business Review (Eds.), People: Managing Your Most Important Asset. Boston: Harvard Business Review. January – February, 1954.

7. Reichheld, F.F., The Loyalty Effect, Harvard Business School Publishing Co., Boston, MA 2001.

8. Schank, R.C., Tell Me A Story: Narrative and Intelligence, Northwestern University Press, Evanston, IL, 1990.

9. Stone, D., Patton, B., & Heen, S., Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most, Viking, New York, New York, 1999.

10. Tannen, D., “The Power Of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why,” Harvard Business Review, September – October, 1995.