Better conversations build better teams. Better teams build better businesses.
Because better conversations build trust, strengthen relationships and create clarity with your people and your customers.
Recently, I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for the hire industry, with a room full of people representing businesses from across Australasia and around the world.
And with all that experience in the room, different organisations, different markets, different challenges one thing kept coming through:
Better conversations build better teams. And better teams build better businesses.
In an industry built around some seriously expensive equipment, I shared an idea that might seem slightly counterintuitive.
One of the most expensive things in your organisation isn’t your equipment.
It’s not your fleet.
It’s not your systems or technology.
It’s the conversations that aren’t happening.
The conversation someone is avoiding.
The feedback that needs to be given.
The issue everybody knows about but nobody wants to raise.
The employee who’s frustrated with how they’re being led, but hasn’t actually told their leader.
The leader who assumes their team knows what’s expected, while the team is quietly wondering what on earth the priority is.
And the meeting that takes an hour, involves eight people and somehow produces absolutely nothing.
Those conversations or lack of them are expensive.
They cost us time, trust, productivity, engagement and good people.
You probably don’t need another meeting
Here’s something I shared at the conference that applies to every workplace: You probably don’t need another meeting. You need a better conversation. Think about the meetings you’ve been in recently. When people leave, do they have:
Do they leave motivated, empowered and clear? Or did everyone just...talk? Because getting people into a room or onto Teams isn’t communication. The quality of the conversation matters. Improving that quality doesn’t require another framework, form or hour-long meeting. In fact, one of the simplest tools I teach takes about 15 minutes. |
Whether you’re talking one-on-one or as a team, try a regular WIPS conversation. Four things. W - WINSWhat’s going well? What have we achieved? What’s working that we should keep doing? Don’t race past the good stuff to get to the problems. Acknowledging progress matters. I - ISSUESWhat’s getting in the way? What’s frustrating us? What isn’t working? What are we avoiding? This creates permission to raise things early — while they’re still solvable — rather than waiting until a small issue becomes a big one. P - PRIORITYWhat matters most right now? Not the enormous to-do list. What is the priority? What needs our attention first? What will make the biggest difference? S - SUPPORTWhat support do you need? Where are you stuck? What do you need from me? And, for leaders, here’s a powerful question to ask: “Is there anything I could do differently that would help you?” Then listen to the answer. That’s it. Wins. Issues. Priority. Support. |
Your August challenge
This month, try two things.
First: try WIPS.
Give it 15 minutes.
Wins. Issues. Priority. Support.
See what changes when regular catch-ups become intentional conversations rather than another meeting in the diary.
Because better conversations build trust, strengthen teams and improve the way we work with our customers and communities.
And ultimately:
Better conversations build better businesses.
So, what conversation needs to happen this week?
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