OVERCOMING FAKE TALK

How to Hold REAL Conversations that Create Respect, Build Relationships, and Get Results

By John Stoker

"Overcoming Fake Talk is a thorough compendium of ideas, frameworks, examples, and actions to improve conversations. Stoker's four 'REAL' conversation skills and eight principles give the novice and master insights

and guidelines for improving conversation."

-- Dave Ulrich, Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Partner, The RBL Group;

and author of The Why of Work

Why do you fail at your most important communications? Why do you end up in “Groundhog Day” scenarios where you have the same conversations over and over? Why aren’t your conversations working?

Because you’re not really talking; you’re having counterfeit conversations where it only looks like you’re talking, but there’s no actual exchange of information going on. In order to have meaningful conversations, we need to start with US, argues John Stoker, former member of the corporate training agency, and current CEO of DialogueWorks. We fail to achieve the goals we want because we don’t have the proper communications skills to take us where we want to go. And we lack the key ingredients that will make the other person in the conversation acknowledge what’s being said.

OVERCOMING FAKE TALK: How to Hold REAL Conversations that Create Respect, Build Relationships, and Get Results (McGraw-Hill Professional; May, 2013; PB, $20.00) is a guide to turn any sensitive, emotional, or confrontational workplace conversation into a positive exchange that provides benefits for both sides.

With dozens of anecdotes, examples, and sample dialogue, this book is a prescriptive guide to forever changing the way you think about talking. In no time all your conversations will be specific, direct, open, insightful, solution-oriented, respectful, accountability-based, and encouraging or complimentary.

In short, transformational – not fake.