First Revolution Consulting
Talk Sense
Taught at Harvard for over 25 years, this is the most effective set of strategies for helping leaders improve their communication and decision making. Participants learn to give and receive feedback more effectively and remain centered when working to solve complex problems—even emotionally-charged problems related to implicit bias or staff performance.
​
How it works
Unless leaders can bridge the gap between what they think they do and what they actually do, improvement is impossible. For this reason, video is used to help participants identify blind spots in the way they communicate and also to help them become more aware of the mindsets they are bringing to interactions with others. This training is highly individualized so that even the strongest leaders will discover ways to improve. The result is that individuals and teams routinely describe the training as “transformational” and can immediately apply their learning in order to achieve:
-
Improved ability to provide and receive feedback
-
Greater confidence & skill with difficult conversations
-
Improved listening and problem solving
-
Improved conflict management
-
Greater capacity to build trust and credibility
The training typically begins with a full two-day session and is followed by a few, short group coaching sessions to help participants refine their skills over time. All sessions are practice-based (not sitting and listening): participants learn by engaging in challenging role play scenarios which require them to put their emerging skills into practice and, as the training progresses, they begin to apply the skills to real-life scenarios from their work.
Thousands of individuals from a broad range of fields and industries—tech, banking, manufacturing, nonprofit, education, etc.—have been trained in these methods and many report that the training has not only impacted their work, but their home and personal lives as well.
What people are saying
“This was one of the most transformational weeks of training of my career. The curriculum was uniquely tailored to diverse leaders like myself, and touched on some of the unique challenges and impediments diverse professionals run into. The training was eye-opening, informative, and incredibly engaging.”
Troy Cosey, Senior Product Marketing Manager, LinkedIn
“The skills that I learned in the Talk Sense training are extremely valuable. I use the listening skills daily—both at work and with family—and often reflect on the impact they have on getting better information. The impact of the training has been that I’ve been able to solve challenges more quickly and build better relationships.”
Derrick Thomas, Senior Vice President & Director, PNC Financial Services
“At work, my manager communicated to me that he has seen a difference in my management style since the training and expressly called out my improved communication. At home, my wife greatly appreciates the extra effort I put in to understanding what she is trying to communicate rather than immediately trying to provide an answer or direction.”
Mario Fanduiz, Senior Vice President, Citi Private Banking
“I promise you, I thought I was an excellent listener. How could I not be? I practiced employment law for 10 years and have been an HR Executive for another 6, so I figured, all I do is listen to people! I must be an expert! Well, 7 minutes into the training it became abundantly clear that not only was I not an expert, I was nowhere close. From becoming more self-aware, to setting up difficult conversations, to really working to truly hear what people are saying beyond the words being said, this has been transformative for me. I highly recommend this for anyone who just wants to get better.”
Wes Alexander, 2nd Vice President, Employee Relations, Travelers
