Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Rajiv Vinnakota is president of C&S. Connection, not persuasion, is the foundation of productive conversation—even across ...

When you want to grow a business, high-stakes conversations are inevitable. Without the right approach, team members may react irrationally, become defensive, or misunderstand your intentions. That’s ...

Relationships are a necessary piece of our human existence. From the moment we are born, we strive to connect and attach with the other beings in our lives. Knowing how to have a conversation allows ...

My best conversations are with my friend Rich. He doesn’t have extraordinary speaking talents or the ability to tell side-splitting jokes. It’s just that after talking with Rich, I somehow feel ...

A world-famous author and lecturer asks an audience to participate in a fun social experiment: Turn to the stranger next to you and answer one question: When is the last time you cried in front of ...

Despite all the benefits of networking, one in four people doesn’t try it at all. Apart from busy schedules, some avoid it because of shyness, fear of rejection, or simply not knowing how to start ...

Conversations are more than just words exchanged between people; they are a medium through which we connect, empathize, and build understanding. Yet, during these moments, unconscious judgments can ...

Have you ever met someone and instantly clicked? Most of us have. Thinking back, what created the spark? Most likely it was a combination of topic, tone, and tenor, but it no doubt happened within a ...

Everyone’s familiar with the sensation of being trapped in a conversation for too long – be that over the garden fence or by the office water cooler. On the other end of the spectrum, we’ve also ...