Better Conversations - Life-Giving

Life-Giving Conversation
The last of the six beliefs from Jim Knight's book Better Conversations will be discussed this week.

6 Beliefs to Better Conversations

1. I see others as equal partners in conversations.
2. I want to hear what others have to say.
3. I believe people should have a lot of autonomy.
4. I don't judge my conversation partners.
5. Conversation should be back and forth.
6. Conversation should be life-giving.

Life-Giving Conversation

"When I believe conversations should be life-giving, I go into the conversations expecting that my conversation partners and I will leave conversations feeling more alive for having experienced them" (Knight, 57, Better Conversations Companion Book).  The prime example of this is when you have a conversation with someone and you walk away thinking you learned so much and you have that feeling like you really were into that conversation.  During these conversations time seems to fly by.  It's really a culmination of the five previous beliefs.  If all these pieces come together, more often than not the conversation is life-giving.

Life-giving conversations are engaging and energizing and they increase your sense of well-being.  If the topic at hand is something we are invested in, then we are more likely to engage in deep conversation about it.  Again, if we are equals, and truly listen to others, give them autonomy, not judge, and the conversation is back and forth, the conversation will more than likely be life-giving and we will walk away energized.

On the opposite end, we have all had conversations where we walk away physically and mentally exhausted.  These conversations are the opposite of life-giving conversations.  Sometimes these types of conversations are necessary, but if we engage in conversation like this on a daily basis, it will likely burn our desire to have a better conversation.

Next week we will wrap up this series on better conversation.