In an age of endless ways to exchange information, having an actual conversation with another person—whether it’s a colleague, a family member, or someone you meet socially—is perhaps the most powerful. That’s because conversations are about more than what’s said: they also shape how we manage the various relationships in our lives, and doing so successfully requires conversational intelligence. Here’s what you need to know.
Become an Intellectual Explorer: Master the Art of Conversation | Emily Chamlee-Wright | Big Think
Conversational intelligence is based on the idea that conversations are more than just a way to exchange information with another person. They can impact everything from relationships to self-confidence to your outlook on life, in both positive and negative ways.
According to Judith E. Glaser, the late organizational anthropologist who coined the term, conversations determine the quality of relationships, which together determine the quality of the culture of a company or other type of organization.
Although Glaser saw conversational intelligence as something that humans are hardwired to do, that doesn’t mean everyone can perform the skill at the same level. Here are a few ways to develop your conversational intelligence:
