Table of Contents

Praise for 5 Conversations
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Preface
Chapter 1
Leadership is relationship
Chapter 2
Why do conversations matter – the business case
Chapter 3
Why do conversations matter – the neuroscience case
Chapter 4
Getting ready to hold the conversations
Chapter 5
Conversation 1 - Establishing a trusting relationship
Chapter 6
Conversation 2 - Agreeing mutual expectations
Chapter 7
Conversation 3 - Showing genuine appreciation
Chapter 8
Conversation 4 - Challenging unhelpful behaviour
Chapter 9
Conversation 5 - Building for the future
Chapter 10
Other ways to use 5 Conversations
Chapter 11
Conclusion
Appendix
Conversation Toolkits
Bibliography
About the authors

About the Author

Nick has such a wealth of experience in major corporations that it made a 2nd edition of this book essential. Before joining The Oxford Group in 1994, his career included roles with British Airways, Bayer AG and Whitbread in operational management, HR/L&D and Organisational Development across Europe and the Middle East. Nick gained corporate expertise in leading international projects, participating in M&A activity and significant organisational change programmes, as well as designing and implementing learning and development architecture. As a Director of The Oxford Group, he has responsibility for acquiring and growing client relationships over the long-term and works as a Consultant and Executive Coach. In 2013, Nick led the development of The Oxford Group’s 5 Conversations programme, the concept from which this book was created. Nigel is an experienced facilitator, writer and speaker whose passion lies in developing management and leadership capability in both new and senior leaders in organisations worldwide. He was most recently the Chairman and Director of The Oxford Group, which he co-founded in 1987 following a career in HR and business management with the Mars Corporation and Burmah Oil. Under Nigel’s leadership The Oxford Group grew from its roots as a small company specialising in behavioural assessment to a global consultancy providing leadership and management development as well as executive coaching. In 2013, Nigel was instrumental in the development and launch of the 5 Conversations programme and today he continues to research, write and speak on a variety of leadership topics.

Reviews

The principles behind 5 Conversations are exactly the same as those applied in the British Olympic Rowing Team to help us build strong teams and win Olympic Gold medals
*Steve Williams OBE, double Olympic Gold medallist*

This is a crucial and absolutely practical book. It understands the nature of how vital the attachment emotion of trust is in organisations, without which no leader can engage the energies of the best people pulling in the same direction.
*Professor Paul Brown, previously Visiting Professor in Organisational Neuroscience, London South Bank University and in Individual and Organisational Psychology, Nottingham Law School*

The saying goes “you come into the world alone, you leave this world alone”, but in between, 5 Conversations can help you build great relationships in work and life.
*Rupert Hodges, Director Leadership Development, BP plc*

If you are genuinely interested in creating a more engaged workforce, this book is a must-read. 5 conversations is chock-full of pragmatic examples that both inform and instruct.
*Benson Smith, Chairman, President & CEO, Teleflex Inc.*

For too long we have compartmentalised our work relationships and ignored our basic humanity in the workplace – this book has reminded us of the importance of these relationships and the conversations that develop them.
*Richard Flint, Managing Director, Sky Bet*

Highly readable, practical and relevant for public and private sectors alike, 5 Conversations draws us back to the origins of communication and teaches us of the simple power of honest and authentic conversations for driving organisational engagement and performance. Read this book, and never fear a sabre-toothed tiger again.
*Hugh Elliott, Director of Communication, Foreign and Commonwealth Office*

You would struggle to find conversations that are more important than those that are so expertly explored in this book. 5 Conversations offers a powerful and practical set of strategies for getting to the heart of workplace performance.
*Robin Ryde, business author*

5 Conversations demonstrates not only the power that quality conversations can have in the professional workspace for leaders, peers and employees alike – but also how much personal confidence and satisfaction can be gained from the art of good conversation – something that can be easily lost in our era of mobile, email and internet.
*Kirsten Cox, Director EMEA Marketing, VMware*

Who said that the art of conversation is dead? This excellent book explains the value of building trusting relationships in order to forge genuine engagement within an organisation.
*Tim Williams, HR Director, Pearson UK*

This book is a great idea. It is the first time I’ve seen very simple and so powerful things said about management: talking about “simply being human” or about “courage” and “curiosity about others”, which brings us back to what management really is: interaction between human beings! Something that most managers have a tendency to forget!
*Laurent Camus, Directeur de la Formation, MBDA*

Much of this book really resonates with how we operate – leadership is THE key enabler for success. This book is a practical guide for leaders in how they can evolve and develop the skills and approaches necessary for personal and organisational success.
*John Devall, Water Director, Northumbrian Water*

The best is always simple – here are THE 5 conversations we all need to be having at work and probably also at home!
*Robert Rigby-Hall, Chief Human Resources Officer, NXP Semiconductors*

This book takes the power of conversations to new possibilities and it offers valuable and practical tools, ideas and illuminating examples.
*Anushia Reddy, VP Global Talent and Organisation Development, Tate & Lyle*

A conversation is an investment in someone’s time so why wouldn’t you take time to learn how to make the most of that investment? The beauty of this book is, it takes an everyday activity and with a few simple tricks suddenly turns that activity into a powerful motivational tool and it has tips that can be applied in writing as well.
*Eleanor Tweddell, Head of Internal Communications, Vodafone UK*