Questions
The Follow-Up Question That Gets Beyond Yes or No
A well-placed follow-up question turns a brief reply into a fuller account, while keeping the speaker in charge of…
The reading room
All articles
Browse pieces on the questions, listening habits, disagreements and group formats that shape how people talk together.
Listening
A Pause or a Paraphrase: Two Ways to Show Attention
A pause or paraphrase can signal attention in different ways. Learn when silence gives someone room and when a brief…
Conversation Craft
When Conversation Became a Subject of Conduct
Conversation as a subject of conduct appears in etiquette books as advice about speaking, listening and social…
Disagreement
The Common-Ground Shortcut Can Hide the Real Difference
The common-ground shortcut can make agreement sound fuller than it is. Learn when to name the exact disagreement and…
Group Talk
A Closing Round for a Discussion With No Neat Answer
A closing round for a discussion with no neat answer lets each person name what remains unresolved, so a group can…
Our point of view
Good conversation leaves room
A useful exchange is not a performance or a race to agree. It gives each person room to finish a thought and respond to what was actually said.