{"id":3119,"date":"2016-09-07T10:30:03","date_gmt":"2016-09-07T14:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/artfulmanager\/?p=3119"},"modified":"2016-09-21T10:46:18","modified_gmt":"2016-09-21T14:46:18","slug":"the-four-parts-of-meeting-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/artfulmanager\/main\/the-four-parts-of-meeting-speech.php","title":{"rendered":"The Four Parts of (Meeting) Speech"},"content":{"rendered":"

With a new academic year now begun, I’m noticing again how odd and awful meetings can be. People of strong intellect and good intent, when gathered over an agenda (or a lack thereof), so often get lost in weeds and hand-wringing. Words are spoken. Heads are nodded. And you leave the meeting without knowing what exactly you discussed or decided.<\/p>\n

\"Parts<\/a>

Flickr Marc Wathieu<\/p><\/div>\n

Lots of “how to” books and articles about effective meetings focus on preparation and process (developing a clear agenda, keeping good time, restating outcomes and decisions, etc.). And this is essential. But those instructions assume a more fundamental understanding of the building blocks of any meeting — forms of human speech.<\/p>\n

Bill Torbert et al offer a productive primer on these forms of speech in their book Action Inquiry: The Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership<\/em><\/a>. They suggest four primary types of speech, with productive conversations containing all four in good balance and in their rightful place. In their words:<\/p>\n