Today I'm going to be talking with Chuck Wisner, the author of The Art of Conscious Conversation, where we'll be exploring the transformative power of effective communication. In a world where conversations can easily become divisive, Chuck's insights offer a path to dialogue that bridges gaps, fosters understanding, and builds stronger connections with people. His work equips you with the tools you need to navigate even the most delicate conversations with grace and confidence.

In this episode, you will learn about:

The Art of Conscious Conversation: Chuck describes how the need for learning emotional intelligence and conversation skills among corporate leader inspired him to teach these skills in a practical accessible way (01:26)
The Four Types of Conversations: Chuck dissects the basic ways we talk to each other - storytelling, collaboration, creative and commitment (03:00)
The Four Archetypal Questions: Chucks explains how examining our thinking patterns around desire, concern, authority and standards helps us move past the stories we tell ourselves and others to a space of mutual learning and positive action (07:18)
What’s Your Story: Using the archetypal questions to understand the unconscious desires, concerns and standards behind out emotional triggers, awakening to power dynamics, and aligning these to reality + Chuck and Jack discuss the essential need for establishing mutual agreement and the challenges in achieving it + how Chuck and his wife no longer fight over when to do the dishes (07:19)
Closed Fist to Open Hand: Creating the safe space to reveal your personal story + the lost art of asking open, interested questions is the key to the collaborative conversation
Get Better At Listening: Developing curiosity, trusting your intuition, and shutting down judgment for thoughtful and mindful conversations (23:30)
Breaking Your “No Problem” Addiction: Chuck presents practical examples of how to ask specific, critical questions and deliver tough feedback for clarity of goals in commitment conversations (28:56)
Personal Journeys: How Chuck learned to live with leukemia instead of fighting it + Chuck and Jack discuss challenging the excessive macho standards of maleness learned from their childhood and the technology available today to for us all to overcome our unconscious obstacles (36:27)

Resources Mentioned:

The Art of Conscious Conversation

Connect with Chuck

Let’s Connect:

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