Conversation is Action
Talk may be cheap, but it's also enormously valuable.
Conversation is often underrated and can even be seen as 'a waste of time' that prevents us from 'taking action'.
When I was at Harvard Business School, I enjoyed a number of sessions led by Professor Boris Groysberg. He is the co-author, with Michael Sind, of Talk Inc, which shares their research on organisational conversations. From their interviews with more than one hundred organisations, they describe conversations as the fuel that 'keeps the engine of value creation firing.'
This research shows that far from being a waste of time, conversation increases trust, improves motivation and enhances employee commitment. The outcome is higher, rather than lower, operational productivity.
At the current time, the need to keep physical distance, has reduced opportunities for the spontaneous conversations that usually arise in the workplace. These conversations are still essential and the benefits can still be realised even if we can't meet face-to-face.
Rather than being a barrier to action, conversation is action. It's important that we make a deliberate effort to decrease our metaphorical distance and engage in conversation.
Who are you conversing with today?
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