Radical Alignment

How to Have Game-Changing Conversations that Will Transform Your Business and Your Life

By: Alexandra Jamieson, Bob Gower

Narrated by: Alexandra Jamieson, Bob Gower

Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Why do so many organizations, teams, couples, families, and groups who should be working together end up wasting energy on unproductive conflict? Even when everyone has the same general goals, what’s often missing is a deeper alignment based on mutual trust, respect, and empathy. With Radical Alignment, top-level life and business coaches (and happily married couple) Alexandra Jamieson and Bob Gower share their potent method for helping groups to stop clashing and start working together - to jump from “we can’t” to an enthusiastic “hell yes!”

The essential tool at the heart of Radical Alignment is the All-In Method: a four-step approach to communication designed to increase clarity, minimize miscommunication, honor each person’s individuality, and build a shared sense of trust and respect for long-term success. With easy-to-follow instruction, Jamieson and Gower bring you:

• The Foundations of Great Communication - What works, what doesn’t, and how to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your own style
• The All-In Method - A step-by-step walk-through of this proven approach to getting into radical alignment with others
• The Method in Action - Examples and exercises for using the All-In Method at work, at home, and in any situation
• Scripts, suggestions, guidance, and additional resources for making this a lifelong practice for greater connection and intimacy

“We believe passionately that the world needs more aligned teams in our businesses, organizations, communities, families, and intimate partnerships,” write the authors. “This means we need people who are able to have powerful and clear exchanges that build better connections.”

Radical Alignment brings you a “low drama, high joy” technique to transform the way you collaborate and communicate in every area of your life.

©2020 Sounds True Publishing (P)2020 Bob Gower Inc.

Set the Stage for a Powerful Conversation

Radical Alignment is an essential book that offers how to create safe environments in which to have productive conversations with colleagues in the workplace as well as in one’s personal relationships. In the latter half of the book a template of practical questions is provided to foster more respectful relationships in the workplace as well as at home from planning a fun vacation, a wedding or a future family. A great gift for anyone who wants to speak more authentically and listen more attentively to create a successful outcome for both parties.

Full fledged method to facilitate understanding

I recommend this book to introduce yourself to a format for setting up opportunities for satisfying communication leading to deeper understanding. Those who are familiar with some of the elements of good communication may recognize pieces but might not have them molded as a whole method, as the authors spell out. At times the simplicity of the method seems beautiful and inspiring.

The most useful parts for me were the ‘at work’ and ‘at home’ chapters because the prompts illustrate best the meat of the method and what it might look like to go through it. I look forward to the addition of video example(s) on the authors’ website which will be helpful visualizing the method. I especially noted the 'at home' prompt “what are you willing to sacrifice in order to reach your financial goals?” I think that is the most loaded question of one’s life. In fact, I think they buried the lede—chapter 8, ‘at home’ contains the most powerful application of this method I can think of: pre-marital counseling. As I grow wiser I start to recognize the questions I *didn’t* ask my wife before we got married. They’re all here: how will we approach money? What happens if we can’t get pregnant (or do get pregnant but we don’t want kids)? What does a satisfying sex life look like? If you know a couple who is thinking about getting engaged, I recommend giving this book and telling them to turn to chapter 8.

My very mild turn offs with the book centered on the early chapters, which I found occasionally inconsistent in the scope. I felt it difficult to follow the focus every moment and sometimes asked myself “wait, did they say what the all-in method is yet?” This might have been from the audio book format, which in retrospect I wonder about the efficacy over the printed version. I think this book would have been easier for me to study and understand due to what (I assume) are section breaks that organize the information well. In audio format the section breaks felt not clearly emphasized, which led to my confusion. I was hoping for some kind of PDF guide accompanying the book, and although there was none, the resources on their website did the trick. The early chapters have much good foundation to be aware of going in to a conversation, though. For example, empathy and listening have been challenging for me in the past. It seems too simple and silly, but successful listening is not easy! Growing team empathy through icebreakers and laughing together is always a good thing. The very early example in the book about empathy in which Brooklyn brownstone dwellers swoon at the smell of a cigarette being smoked 20 feet away was a little confusing although, and ironically had an anti-empathy effect on me towards the authors momentarily. And it seemed practically every example of applying the method included vacation planning. I was like, ‘jeez, these guys *like* their vacation.’

I appreciated the emphasis on how important it was not to skip the last step, the dreams. It seems fanciful, but I could see how dreams and hopes drive alignment. I recall being in meetings in the past where the process was sped up due to time constraints, and it felt rushed and unsettling at the conclusion. The dreaming step would ensure that never happens.

I already used what I learned

The time that I put into the process was well worth it because it saved time later. I brought the process to a meeting with my business partner before we started interviewing a new hire. The clarity gained made later decisions much more obvious! so glad that I now have this tool.

Engaging and thought provoking

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to have Bob and/ or Alexandra talk to my peer advisory group. It's a very relevant message and it should be on everybody's must read list.

Radical conversations

I have a deep desire to improve communication skills as I believe words have the power to change things and shift dynamics and so purchasing this book made sense to me. Learning about tactical empathy, psychological safety helped me cultivate those ideas in my interactions. 'Respect, curiosity and gentleness' as narrated by Bob are words I hold in my mind's eye when I notice myself losing sight of the conversation and it really helped in an encounter where I was able to show up as a better version of myself. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to have better conversations for personal or professional reasons.

Excellent interpersonal effectiveness tool

I enjoyed the book. Both narrators were clear and it was a nice change of pace with the male and female voices. The content was thorough and just the right length. The method described in the book has practical applications in our personal and professional lives in a variety of ways.

Amazing book and Communication strategy

This book is read by the authors and I love hearing them talk about personal and professional examples of using their framework.

This is a book I believe everyone should read! I have already gifted several copies to family and friends.

The Book I Have Been Looking For!

I love this book! I grew up in a family that did NOT communicate and I have struggled with communication my whole adult life. I have looked for self help books and programs that will help me improve my ability to have fruitful conversations with family, friends and strangers. This book fits the bill. It teaches a clear, easy format to use, called the All In Method (AIM), which breaks a conversation into four distinct parts, intentions, concerns, boundaries, and dreams. Using this format has helped me clarify my thoughts around what I want to say and creates a flow to the conversation so the outcome is productive. I especially liked Chapter 8, All In At Home, which focuses on personal relationships. This chapter is filled with pertinent and useful conversation examples broken into the AIM which can be used as a guide to put this method into practice . This book is packed full of so much information, that it will serve as an ongoing resource I can use to continue improving my current and future conversations. I highly recommend it!

Handbook for relationships

Alex and Bob are very talented communicators.
Together they managed to put to together and launch THE handbook for human relationships.
Regardless professional or personal, this book will break down the communication paradigm.
They talk about how avoid communication breaks down and form positive outcome.
If you are in a situation where you have a difficult situation or relationship, this book is for you .
They form a check list in addressing the situation and walk you through the steps to resolution.
Personally and professionally you will improve you communication and negotiation skills
By the end of the book, you will have the confidence to have that difficult conversation.

For those who want to skip to the "meat"

If, like me, you're eager to hear the method itself, skip to the chapters All in At Work or All in At Home for scripts that walk through different examples. Try the Cheat Sheet for a basic outline of the Intentions, Concerns, Boundaries, and Dreams. You can go back to Set the Stage for basic "rules of engagement" that keep this and all conversations "safe."