Overview

Pivotal Conversations is a flexible training, coaching, and consulting process through which executives and other managers develop the key competencies necessary for success in today’s turbulent business environment.

	Why Pivotal Conversations?
	What do participants learn?
	Who is Pivotal Conversations for?
	How does Pivotal Conversations work?
	Training of Trainers

Why Pivotal Conversations?

Today’s business enterprises have entered an era of permanent change that requires unprecedented interdependence between business units.

	To achieve essential business results, executives and their units must collaborate across organizational boundaries. And often across company boundaries as well.
	In addition, accelerating change means that cross-boundary collaborations must address novel problems and develop creative solutions.

We call the interactions that make or break success in these situations "pivotal conversations."

What do Participants Learn?

Participants learn:

	The dialogue skills needed to bring multiple priorities and diverse viewpoints together in ways that lead to concerted action.
	The creative thinking skills needed to resolve novel problems that often cross organizational boundaries.

Pivotal Conversations is not "Interpersonal Skills 101." It is a process for learning sophisticated skills that can radically improve high-risk/high-payoff business conversations. These skills also give managers ways to combine strong leadership with participatory team problem-solving.

Pivotal Conversations is not just about learning new behaviors. It also helps people develop the underlying awareness, attitudes, and intentions needed to generate and sustain creative, collaborative problem-solving in challenging real-world situations.

See more about what participants learn

Who is Pivotal Conversations for?

	Line managers at all levels (and their teams) have benefited tremendously from their participation in Pivotal Conversations. See client story. They have used this approach for: Management team development Leadership development — collaborative problem-solving skills Leadership development — the art of coaching
	Staff groups (human resource professionals) have used Pivotal Conversations to develop more collaborative, influential relationships with line managers.
	Management consulting firms have used Pivotal Conversations workshops to help their consultants develop more collaborative relationships with clients.

How does Pivotal Conversations work?

Pivotal Conversations is always customized to meet particular client needs. All versions of Pivotal Conversations are highly interactive and engaging, using participants’ real-world experiences as the focal points for learning.

How Pivotal Conversations programs are structured

See participant evaluations of Pivotal Conversations programs

Training of Trainers

A training, certification, and licensing program is available to build internal capability for Pivotal Conversations consulting, training, and coaching.