Latest news with #TheNextConversation
IOL News
12-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Unlocking the power of conversations: A Review of Jefferson Fisher's 'The Next Conversation'
I went into The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher expecting just another self-help book about communication, but what I got was so much more. This book didn't just teach me how to speak better—it taught me how to show up in conversations with purpose, confidence, and clarity. Fisher, a skilled trial lawyer, knows the stakes of every word, and he brings that high-pressure wisdom into everyday life with practical, actionable advice that anyone can use. As I read, I couldn't help but draw parallels to ideas from Mel Gibbons' The Let Them Theory and Sahil Bloom's The 5 Types of Wealth. Those books were about relationships, self-control, and balance, and Fisher's book tied it all together for me in a way that felt deeply personal. Fisher's insights reminded me that conversations aren't just exchanges of words—they're opportunities to grow, connect, and even redirect your energy toward the things that matter. Key Tips from the Book Fisher organises his book into three main pillars: "Say it with control, say it with confidence, and say it to connect." Here are ten tips from the book that absolutely changed how I think about conversations:
Wall Street Journal
03-04-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Saving the Office From Becoming a Passive-Aggressive Hellscape
Texas trial lawyer Jefferson Fisher comes from the land of bless-your-heart politeness but says pleasantries threaten workplace culture. 'There's this tendency to tiptoe around the heart of the matter,' he says. 'It's not going to go well for you over time, and you're going to find that people will trust you less.' American society may look increasingly vitriolic through the lens of social media, where Fisher, 36, has attracted millions of followers with his video tips for handling tense situations. At work, however, people often use technology to duck conflict. Why face a tough conversation when you can ignore that uncomfortable Slack message or enlist ChatGPT to compose another vanilla email? In the future, offices could become even more passive-aggressive, unless we practice the art of disagreement. The Wall Street Journal spoke with Fisher, author of 'The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More,' about how to bring directness back to the workplace. Unvoiced expectations. People are still working hybrid, going back in person, and having to relearn how to have difficult conversations. They're not being direct. It's actually unkind, and it creates confusion in the relationship. Misalignment doesn't happen in one big moment. Misalignment happens in 100 little conversations that you don't have. You hold something in or hang it over another person because you don't know how to broach the topic. We're doomed if we don't change our approach. Zoom, Slack, Teams—they're not going anywhere, so how do you navigate the conversations within them? One of the biggest pitfalls is you don't always hear nuance. One way to fix this is to ask, 'Did you mean for that to sound short?' It allows the person to correct a misunderstanding. There's this one attorney whose emails seemed pretty rude, and I was thinking, 'Golly, this guy's a jerk.' I picked up the phone and called him, and he was as nice as can be. I said, 'How about this? If we need to talk, let's just call each other.' He goes, 'Yeah, let's do that.' Set aside real, uninterrupted time. Don't wait till the end of the day when you have 10% of yourself for an important conversation. That's not going to go well. And make sure that somebody's not pushing their timeframe on you. It's okay to say, 'Hey, look, I can tell I'm not ready for this conversation. This will be a better conversation if we have it tomorrow.' That's setting yourself up for success. If your boss is a lover of AI and seems to trust AI, there may not be too much you can do. If you disagree, I'm going to encourage you to tweak your words to say, 'I see things differently.' And come with evidence. You need to be able to give them a road map of what you believe and why. Say, 'I'm confident this is a better route for us because I've been here and seen this.' It's usually a one-day rule. If it's still bothering you the next day, then it's something you should address. We've all had those instances where you're ready to tell somebody off. You put together an email full of zingers, and then your better nature tells you to keep it in a draft. If you wake up the next day and go, 'You know what, I don't really need to respond to that person,' then you can probably move on. Begin with a phrase like, 'I have about 20% of an idea, and I need y'all's help with the other 80%.' It helps encourage people to remember this is something that we can continue to work on. It's a sign of strength to admit when you're wrong or that you have something to learn. Then even if the ultimate product looks completely different, it was your discussion that helped lead to that result. There's often someone who starts to dominate or control the conversation. Try to grab it, filter and pass it. Jump in, using their name, and say, 'Hey, Jefferson, I love what you talked about. It's definitely something we need to consider. I'd like to hear what Jim has to say about this.' You don't need to overtalk, overexplain. Keep it short. You're going to sound more confident when you do. That's a valid concern. Almost anything that's changed for the better has come through conflict, from the civil rights movement to your personal life. You had to break up with one girlfriend to find the person you're supposed to be with. Hey, I love my country music. Write to Callum Borchers at
