Conversations That Matter

About the Book

We spend much of our lives in conversation, but how can we harness the power of these conversations to bring awareness, intelligence, energy and focus to our lives? In his book, professional coach Lorne Ellingson presents a clear model for having conversations that matter - conversations that will help you move forward and achieve your goals. Whether you are searching for meaningful work, professional development or to grow as a person, these important conversations will help you to discover who you are, where you want to go, and how you can get there.

The model presented consists of seven groups of conversations that follow from each other. The first are conversations about your energy and its focus. Secondly are those concerned with your values, talents and lessons you need to learn. Conversations about the opportunities before you, the goals you will choose and the challenges that come with them follow next. The final group is about the attitudes and behaviours that will serve you well on your journey and the environment you need to create around you that will best support your own efforts.

A framework that best facilitates the development of these conversations is presented. It includes the use of powerful questions, skillful listening and an empowering way of holding yourself and others.

About the Author

Lorne Ellingson is a professional coach and management consultant whose interest is in helping people to realize who they can be at their best, to understand how to get there and to take the necessary steps to achieve their potential. He works with executives, organizations, teams and boards of directors. He also teaches courses on personal and community development in the Department of Indigenous Studies at Trent University. His approach to coaching is strongly influenced by his practice of Zen Buddhism and by Aboriginal wisdom traditions.

He decided to become a coach when he realized that, had he had a coach earlier in his life who helped him understand who he was, what he wanted from life and what he had to contribute to society, he would have got to be where he is now much earlier and by a much more direct route.

His background is in communications, finance, negotiation, marketing and strategic planning. Before forming his own firm he worked for the Government of Canada in the Departments of Finance and External Affairs, the Royal Bank of Canada and Ernst and Young.