Conversations are always the foundation of relationships, personal or professional. Ironically, communication is the skill most people fail at, which is often where the breakdown in relationships occur.
This Move intends to help you in making intentional conversations with less effort and stress, because let’s face it - social anxiety is a legitimate concern for most of us.
People usually get lost in the middle of a conversation when an idea pops up and the focus will be shifted there. Having a pattern, such as the basic stages of constructive conversation, will be helpful in staying on topic and making sure that the purpose or goal has been achieved.
Research shows that there are four stages to having a constructive conversation:
Emotions play one of the vital roles in every conversation. They make up the atmosphere and build rapport. It is important that we create such a connection with the person we are talking to, for it puts both ends at ease. Getting validation and acknowledgement also comes with labeling and showing your emotions towards the information or idea you got.
You should also keep in mind that it is not always about you. Your emotions are important, but make sure that they do not feel like you are imposing your thoughts on them. Respect their ideas as you want them to respect yours.
No matter what your personal relationship is with the person you are talking to, it is best to be genuine. Constructive conversations are supposed to be built with trust, and the points or ideas you will give would mostly be based on your purpose of giving constructive opinions. People can sense when one is doing lip service.