I have designed and delivered conversation experiences and interventions for thousands of participants over the last four years. As part of my work, I have sought data after each event and have been amassing a body of responses to the following queries:
- Did the experience improve your art of conversation?
- Were your perspectives altered by any of your conversations?
- Were you motivated by the conversations and discussions?
- Have you had any opportunity to use what you learned in your workplace or elsewhere?
The findings from this research appears below. Additionally, I have been monitoring my Net Promoter Score, which is presently 59.
Beyond the data, however, are the open comments from participants, which reflect the deep and meaningful ways in which becoming attentive to our conversational lives can profoundly improve our personal and professional well-being. This combined quantitative and qualitative feedback reflects that conversation and our approach to this art enables us to work better and to live well.
Did the event improve your art of conversation?
Were your perspectives altered?
Were you motivated by the conversations?
Have you had any opportunity to use what you learned in your workplace or elsewhere?
I liked that 35% said that they didn’t know if their art of conversation had improved yet because it shows that the art of it isn’t a switch on/switch off thing (or, perhaps better said, it shouldn’t be). As with many things in life, conversation – meaningful, productive, critical, enlightening – takes nurturing and honing. Those 35% might not know if they’re improved yet but I’d bet with further use of the concepts you posit, they’ll improve as they try, try again!
That’s a good observation. The research typically is fielded between 4 – 8 days after the event and participants anecdotally tell me that they are confident they will manifest the lessons learned, but have yet to have the opportunity to fully reflect upon and absorb the insights that they have gained for themselves.