Most conversations are one-dimensional (1D): ppl just react to what is being said. At any intervention, the conversation can go in one direction or another, but it ends up flowing wherever ppl take it.
Example:
Example:
Which you can picture like this, with every severed outbranch representing a potential path to the conversation that was never taken.
In 2D conversations, people can navigate back and forth the conversation and decide to take a different path.
For example, you can graph this conversation like this:
For example, you can graph this conversation like this:
There's a rat-hole, which was avoided by backtracking into the moment when the conversation diverged into an unproductive direction.
2D conversationalists keep in mind where the conversation has gone, so they can go back to the branches that were more interesting or productive.
Where a 1D conversationalist follows the flow and the 2D one can go back and take alternative routes, the 3D conversationalist always knows where the conversation comes from and where it's going.
Example: if a candidate asks “How can the company beat the competition?”, a 1D communicator might answer: “Because we’re bigger than the competition.”
A 2D communicator might do that, realize she might not have fully answered the question, & add“Does that answer your question?”
A 2D communicator might do that, realize she might not have fully answered the question, & add“Does that answer your question?”
A 3D conversationalist would realize that there’s plenty of information about the candidate’s concerns in this question & say:
"That’s a great question. It sounds to me like you have several questions under that, so let me rephrase them and you tell me if those are your Qs:"
"That’s a great question. It sounds to me like you have several questions under that, so let me rephrase them and you tell me if those are your Qs:"
"Who are the main competitors and what does the market’s landscape look like?
What’s the company’s strategy in that context?
How is that a winning strategy against the competition?
Is this what I’m hearing from you?"
What’s the company’s strategy in that context?
How is that a winning strategy against the competition?
Is this what I’m hearing from you?"
This is much more productive because most ppl simply follow the flow, without questioning how it fulfills the goal of the conversation.
3D conversationalists always know where they are, where they're going, and how to get there in a conversation.
3D conversationalists always know where they are, where they're going, and how to get there in a conversation.
I go into the detail in this article:
tomaspueyo.com
tomaspueyo.com
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