Each person can be regarded as a knowledge interaction worker, and an indispensable aspect of satisfactory performance is being able to work cooperatively with others throughout the business. This is the basic business process, which underpins all other business process, and is expressed as the coordination of action. This process determines how well strategies, plans, policies and procedures are implemented. How effectively personnel coordinate their actions with each other, and with customers and suppliers, is at the heart of organisational performance and productivity. The core aspect of organisational work is conversational labour.
Conversational proficiency is a generic competence for all personnel, in particular for leaders.
What is and isn't said in conversations, how it said and how it is listened to, and what is happening for people emotionally, is crucial for how effectively and efficiently individuals and teams perform. An organisation is a network of conversations and relationships, and the quality of these is a major determinant of organisational morale, performance and productivity. The fast pace of the business world requires trusting, collaborative and innovative interactions. Positive working relationships are developed through constructive and productive conversations, which requires emotional intelligence. These relationships, in turn, provide a rich and trusting context for innovative, productive and effective conversations to continually be occurring.