Radical Alignment: How to Have Game-Changing Conversations That Will Transform Your Business and Your Life

Curiosity, deep listening, and a sense of humor add up to a sense of presence. When we are fully present in our interactions, it is easier to have a nuanced understanding of, and empathy for, the other people involved.

Often during this section, easy fixes for a concern emerge—agreements, rules, budgetary triggers, and so forth—that could mitigate or eliminate the concern. This is wonderful, but for now keep it to yourself, perhaps by jotting down a quick note. The All-In Method (AIM) is not for problem solving but for information sharing, and suggesting an agree

so they can merge with the unit and act as one.2 SEALs must routinely operate in environments they call volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). In a VUCA context, traditional military practices, such as respect for the chain of command and following the plan, become a liability instead of a strength. Speed and team agility are the great

Come to conflict as a collaborator. Humans hate losing even more than we love winning. Bring a sense of “winwin” to your team interactions by asking, How can we all feel like winners here?

happen? What will you get out of it? How will your relationship be after this meeting?). Going into important or high-stakes conversations brings up emotions, and you might not show up as your best, most confident self without structured preplanning. Writing down your intentions, concerns, boundaries, and dreams and having your notes in front of yo

Intentions: Why did you decide to come and speak at this conference? Why is this topic so important to you? Concerns: What concerns do you have about the future of work? What mistakes do you see people making that negatively affect the work you do? Boundaries: What do you make sure not to do in your work? How do you best take care of yourself in vo

Finally, ask the big question. How safe do you feel in this team or this relationship? If in a work

Bob’s standard practice for facilitating meetings is to start off with a personal question: What has your attention? What are you looking forward to? Just asking the question creates

The steps involve simply asking yourself to clarify your own intentions (Why are you having this conversation? What do you want to get out of it?), concerns (What issues are you likely to get stuck on? What objections might the other person raise that you can think through in advance? Are there any behaviors to watch out for and plan for?), boundar

At home, poor communication often leads to unnecessary conflict that destabilizes our relationships and turns sources of support into sources of anguish. When we are in regular conflict with our partner, we might