Identify the most recent important conversation you’ve had and with whom. Score the conversation from two lenses: results and relationship. When thinking about the results, ask yourself these questions: What percentage of the interaction was spent on driving results? What were the action items that arose from the conversation, who is responsible for each, and what is the timeframe for completion? Did you discuss barriers/obstacles, rewards, and consequences around the action items?
When assessing the conversation’s impact on your relationship with the other person, consider these questions: Was your relationship with the other person improved, unaffected, or damaged as a result of this conversation? Were you authentic in your interaction with this person? Do you know what motivates this person, and did you give them what they needed in this interaction? Ultimately, what score would you give the conversation on a scale of 1 to 100? (Hint: If you can’t answer one or more of these questions, then your score might not be as high.)