Robert Poynton explores and celebrates the everyday miracle that meets one of our deepest needs: to connect with other people; he offers simple ways to hone our natural skills so that we overcome any anxiety and converse more skilfully and consciously.
'In conversation, we don't just talk with individuals, we encounter entire worlds.' Conversation is about more than communication. It's how we connect with each other and make sense of the world; it's an essential part of being human. So why do some flow, while others are stilted and awkward? Can we make difficult conversations easier? In this book, Robert Poynton explores the 'everyday miracle' that leads to new ideas and deeper relationships. He offers simple ways to improve our natural ability so that we overcome any anxiety, converse more skilfully and have more meaningful interactions. You will: - Discover it's not about being clever, witty or winning arguments - Learn to listen and hold space - Find out how a simple bit of structure can make all the difference - Create the conditions for more fruitful conversations. The best conversations aren't planned or one-sided; they are highly responsive, improvised exchanges. Let's keep talking.
"Wise, inspirational and empowering, Do Conversation is one of the finest things I've read about this foundational human practice. Poynton shows how the best conversations are a dance of attention, generosity and pleasure - and what it might mean for us all to weave them more richly through our lives." - Dr Tom Chatfield, tech philosopher & author of Wise Animals
'Thanks to smart phones and social media, we're losing the art of conversation... Reclaim it with some help from this book.' - Country & Town House magazine
Robert Poynton is an Associate Fellow of the Said Business School, University of Oxford where he designs and facilitates workshops, programs, retreats and events. He is co-founder of Yellow -- an online learning platform for personal and professional development. He is the author of Do Pause (2019) and Do Improvise (2013). He has been a contributor to The Skoll World Forum and Singularity University Global Summit. He has led courses on leadership, change and complexity at the IE Business School in Madrid, Ashridge Business School and Schumacher College. He lives in Oxford and Spain.
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