This is a great book.  It’s clear, engagingly written and especially enjoyable but it’s also full of practical tips and frameworks for building teams that work.

The authors, in their own words, says is about ‘Building teams that work, one conversation at a time’

The NALED model is a valuable and practical framework for considering how we approach conversations. The book explains the model in a way that makes it very clear what it is and how to apply it. It’s especially helpful to see the model illustrated with examples from real-world situations, which are relatable and relevant.

The case studies are also from potentially tough environments and industries which shows the model works just as well with people who are under pressure or who are dealing with difficult situations as it does with other types of teams.

I especially enjoyed the section on listening–it’s clear the author has spent a lot of time thinking about what makes for good listening, and she does a great job of explaining why it matters.

The ‘challenges’ section at the end was also worth a mention–it takes you through common issues they might find as they start to apply the NALED framework, so it helps you anticipate challenges before they arise. The Summaries at end of each chapter make it easy to take away the key points from the book and ‘NALED in 5 minutes’ is a great reference point to put things into action quickly

If you’re looking to improve the quality and effectiveness of your work and non-work-related conversations, this book is a great resource.

It’s very easy to read, and I’m confident that almost anyone could get something useful out of it. It focuses on helping leaders improve their communication skills, but it’s well worth anyone reading this book to improve quality and effective of their work and non-work-related conversations.

Published by Practical Inspiration Publishing

Dani Bacon is an Organisation Development consultant, co-founder of Distinction Consulting and co-host of the Distinction podcast