Coach Yourself!

12The Conversation Funnel Framework

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure

—Colin Powell

We have different kinds of conversations with our peers, our teams, and our bosses, ranging from blue sky brainstorming to definitive decision making, and everything in between. The Conversation Funnel is a simple framework to help you appropriately prepare for and engage in an important conversation or meeting.

The Conversation Funnel Explained

The Conversation Funnel is not a decision‐making framework. Rather, it is a framework that helps you orient what stage a conversation is at and helps you answer the question: What kind of conversation should I be prepared to have? If you know a meeting is about exploring issues or narrowing down options, or at the other extreme, making decisions, then you have an important perspective and context. Now you are ready to answer these two questions:

Figure 12.1 The Conversation Funnel.

• How can I best prepare for this meeting?
• How can I optimally engage in this conversation/meeting? Specifically, the types of questions you ask, how data is used, and how to analyze options.

The Conversation Funnel in Action

Refer to the Conversation Funnel graphic (Figure 12.1) when you know a critical meeting or conversation is on the horizon, and you want to be well‐prepared either to run or ...