Conversations are a basic competency and activity of executive teams. Yet, according to world-renowned researcher, Judith E. Glaser, author of Conversational Intelligence®️ “9 out of 10 conversations miss the mark.”

Think about it for a moment, how many conversations have you experienced at work that did not enhance relationships or produce needed results?

Executive teams need to have conversations about culture and brand, employee performance and development, direction, strategy, results, finances, competition, customers, investors, and regulations, just to name a few. Each of these topics is a core executive team responsibility that is carried out through conversations that lead to action.

Basically, executives need to have conversations about everything. The result of the conversations that leaders are having or not having are translated into action throughout the organization. Actions that are usually directed through layers of management.

How can executive teams ensure that their conversations ripple out most effectively through those layers?

The executive conversation equation: the quality of executive conversations determines the quality of their decisions which then results in the quality of actions taken in all areas of the business. This is simple in theory yet complex in reality. Complex because most people do not understand the power of C-IQ, the ability to work with the realities of how the human brain processes conversations.

We live in the world our conversations create. Most companies have had conversations to craft statements of purpose and vision, define core values & principles, and document strategies. All noble intentions for what they do, what they stand for, where they plan to go and how they’ll get there.

What is the determining factor on whether and how these intentions become reality? Conversation.

Executive conversations ripple out, formally and informally, to create the culture and drive the actions taken throughout the organization. The ripples don’t end there however! As people throughout the organization are impacted by the executive team’s conversations, that impact drives people’s understanding of what the executive team actually values. What this means is that the priority executives place on candor and caring in conversation also determines the honesty and quality of data and information that flows back to them. And the executive team must have honesty and quality data coming to them from people throughout the organization if they are to make better decisions and undertake well-informed change going forward.

WHAT IS C-IQ?

C-IQ is the next level of intelligence. If Intellectual intelligence (IQ) is working with what we know and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is working with what we feel, C-IQ is what we do in the moment with what we feel and know to build trusting relationships and breakthrough results with others.

Trust is the oxygen that people need to engage & collaborate, take responsibility & risk, be open to change & accountable for results. Trust is built through what people say and do. This is magnified in the words and actions of leaders.

As a certified C-IQ coach and accredited facilitator of the NeuroView Leadership Assessment, I coach executives to understand how what they say and do contributes to building trust or breaking down trust. These research-backed approaches provide executives insight on specific things they can do to leverage their strengths and develop in areas needed to further build the trust required to achieve what matters most.

“To get to the next level of greatness, depends on the quality of the culture, which depends on the quality of relationships, which depends on the quality of the conversations. Everything happens through conversations!” – Judith Glaser, Conversational Intelligence® author and researcher, and Chair of the Creating WE Institute

YOUR FINEST HOUR

Welcome to Your Finest Hour, a summer series to help you discover how to connect with the best in others to achieve what matters most. To receive email updates in this series click subscribe to join my list.