Is It Good News or Bad News? It's All in the Delivery

It takes guts to have a meaningful conversation at work. When a performance is not up to scratch or a promotion is sidelined, a direct exchange handled with compassion and courage is essential. Using the right words at the right time can be empowering. But technically proficient leaders – with growing email dependence – may be too busy or lack the behavioural insights for challenging chats that produce the right outcomes. A new executive education course at the Australian Graduate School of Management has resuscitated the dying art of conversation to help managers get what they want.