In a Conversation the Participants Are Not Engaged in an Inquiry Michael Oakeshott

In a conversation the participants are not engaged in an inquiry or a debate; there is no ‘truth’ to be discovered, no proposition to be proved, no conclusion sought. They are not concerned to inform, to persuade, or to refute one another, and therefore the cogency of their utterances does not depend upon their all speaking in the same idiom; they may differ without disagreeing. Of course, a … | Michael Oakeshott Continue reading In a Conversation the Participants Are Not Engaged in an Inquiry Michael Oakeshott

Knowing Your Readers Larry McEnerney

If you do not know your readers, the particular people in a community, if you do not know these people, you are very unlikely to create value and you are very unlikely to be persuasive because persuasion depends on what they doubt. If you don’t know what they doubt, how on earth you’re gonna overcome those doubts? You must know them. | Larry McEnerney Continue reading Knowing Your Readers Larry McEnerney

Speak with Less Conviction Change Insight

Speaking with less conviction opens dialogue, encourages learning, and inspires creativity. Overconfidence signals closed-mindedness, hindering persuasion and discovery. Use conditional language to promote mindful engagement, creativity, and deeper understanding in conversations and teaching. Further Reading Set a Direction Rather Than a Specific Goal There Are No Solutions to Complex Problems This page is part of … Continue reading Speak with Less Conviction Change Insight

Crafting Writing That Drives Change Larry McEnerney's insights on good writing

Diplomacy ## Write to Think ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Conventional writing wisdom is often misguided. Larry McEnerney, the retired director of the University of Chicago’s Writing Program, challenges outdated conceptions of good writing that … Continue reading Crafting Writing That Drives Change Larry McEnerney’s insights on good writing

Speak with Less Conviction Speaking with conviction inhibits learning

Take Responsibility for the Conversation ** Disagree Constructively Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Speak with less conviction: Persuading others is not easy. It is generally believed that we convince others by speaking with conviction. Is this … Continue reading Speak with Less Conviction Speaking with conviction inhibits learning

Rediscovering Rhetoric Rethinking how we influence and communicate every day

Oracy What Is the Difference Between Rhetoric and Oracy? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Rhetoric is often construed as insincere or meaningless language that sounds clever. This is an unduly negative perspective. Rhetoric is a critical … Continue reading Rediscovering Rhetoric Rethinking how we influence and communicate every day