By Craig WeberAvailable in print and electronic format wherever fine books are sold.
“Craig Weber challenges us to think differently about the way we talk to each other. Not since the seminal work of Chris Argyris have I read a book that so well documents the promise and the peril of dialogue.”
“For once a practical, real-world business book with useful tips you can actually implement. Refreshing in that it focuses not on quick fixes, but on developing conversational skills that lead to better understanding and cooperation, even when views conflict. If you’ve had enough of cutesey business fables and magic cures, this is the book for you.”
“Craig Weber has a masterful understanding of effective dialogue, difficult problem solving, and increasing collaboration on work teams. While providing the reader with an in-depth understanding of the subject matter he also provides a very pragmatic skill-set for leadership effectiveness. This book should be a read and reference for anyone in a leadership role or anyone who aspires to leadership responsibility. His book is one of the top 5 books I have read on leadership effectiveness in the last 10 years.”
“Conversational Capacity is a smart book. I immediately saw where I have been ineffective with my teams over the years; where I clearly got in my own way. Mr. Weber offers practical ways to approach difficult challenges and create innovative solutions with increased buy-in from team members. I appreciate that he does not offer a “magic bullet” but rather a set of principles which require skill and practice. The focus is on learning by leaning into a problem and not running away from or running over the problem. In the beginning of the book, I clearly related to the issues and challenges of my own conversational capacity and really couldn’t put the book down until read how I was going to apply the concepts to increase my effectiveness. What I didn’t expect to discover was how valuable these principles are in my personal life and how (regretfully) low my conversational capacity is at times with those closest to me. An easy 5 stars!”
“Craig Weber lays out a succinct and practical model for thinking about the way we communicate, why we often miss the mark, and how to get better. Not a quick fix, but rather a set of principles and tools for making sure that we make truly informed decisions, based around conversations that engage our audience, and ensure that we both understand and are understood. Craig Weber has a whimsical style of writing, using examples we can all relate to. If you are a leader, or aspire to be one, this is a must read!”
“This is a great read about improving communication skills and working well in teams. There are tons of books on these subjects, but Craig Weber weaves his advice into stories that demonstrate their effectiveness. It is a good, easy read with enough anecdotes and examples that it reads more like a novel than a management guide!”
“Conversational Capacity’ provides a clear framework to understand many important aspects of the conversations that we all have every day. Moreover — and this is really important to me — this book has concrete tips that will help you improve your conversations starting today. It won’t take you a lifetime to learn. Read the book and start learning techniques that will help you improve the very same day. I really enjoyed this book and have recommended it to the leaders that I know and work with.”
“I have undertaken a workshop by Craig on this topic and now read the book. I can highly recommend (both – but in this instance the book) to anyone who needs to interact with team, customers or “tricky” colleagues. This book is outstanding in making you “feel normal” when you start getting nervous about that “difficul conversation” and gives you the tools, techniques and process to ensure you hold that conversation effectively. I have seen the techniques described in Conversational Capacity used by Project Managers, HR Managers, Team Leaders and General Managers all to great effect. Craig is obviously a “Global Thought Leader” on this topic and I applaud and thank him for documenting in this book his wisdom. Highly recommended”
“Craig Weber has a gift for connecting what it means to build healthy relationships with the nuts and bolts of running an organization. In Conversational Capacity he brings a refreshing combination of practical tools, personal examples, and wisdom from having worked with hundreds of leaders over the years. If you are a leader or someone interested in getting better at what you do, Conversational Capacity is a must read”
“There are few books that I recommend without reservation – this is one of them! Craig Weber makes a compelling argument that conversational capacity is the overlooked “missing ingredient” that distinguishes high performing teams from the types of teams we all have unfortunately experienced – poor performing teams that just don’t achieve their promise. You can have all the right people with the right knowledge and give them a clear task, and you can still see them fall into dysfunction if their conversational capacity is anemic. This book is filled with practical wisdom that will not only help you communicate the value of the skills the author describes, but also will help you (and your team members) build them! You’ll get the most benefit if you read this as a team. The collective awareness of the price paid for low conversational capacity will motivate learning; the practical advice on skill building will facilitate team practice and learning. Conversational Capacity should be required reading by anyone who will benefit by dramatically improving team performance. And that seems to be pretty much all of us!”
“I picked up Conversational Capacity and I couldn’t put it down! It’s an easy read chock-full of practical advice and techniques. In our increasingly polarized and politicize world where we often feel like we have to convince others to think our way or where we avoid conversations all together because they seem too confrontational or divisive, the need for conversational capacity is high but our ability to execute is often low. I could look at my professional work and my personal life and find ways to try out new techniques I’d learned in the book right away. Who can’t identify with “minimizing” or “winning” behaviors in ourselves or others when we experience conflict? Conversational Capacity offers practical advice and skills for being more productive in conversations. I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting their team to function more effectively or their family to communicate in healthy and productive ways”
