Conflict zen newsletter, october 2008: the age of conversation edition

The age of conversation is a time that values dialogue. The kind of dialogue that helps create compelling ideas. That fosters healthy debate and smart decision making. And that builds strong relationships.

I’m dedicating this issue of the newsletter to The Age of Conversation 2, a new book that is being released today (and I’m part of!). Here’s what’s on tap:

1. Join me in the age of conversation
2. Buy the book and help kids at the same time
3. Meet the contributors
4. And, of course, the monthly digest of Conflict Zen articles

Join me in the age of conversation

The Age of Conversation 2 brings together over 100 of the world’s leading marketers, writers, thinkers and creative innovators in a ground-breaking collection of essays about the value of dialogue in business. Following in the footsteps of the first edition in 2007, editors Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan challenged bloggers around the world to contribute one page — 400 words — on the topic of “conversation.”

I’m thrilled to be among the contributors from 29 U.S. states and 14 other nations. My essay, “Emptying Your Teacup in the Age of Conversation,” uses an old Zen koan, or story, to contrast the act of dialogue from attempting to control conversation and message. If you’ve been a Conflict Zen reader for a while, the koan is probably familiar to you.

Buy the book and help kids at the same time

Beginning today, the book will be available for purchase online in three formats: downloadable e-book ($12.50), softcover ($19.95) and hardcover ($29.95).

And when you buy, you’ll be helping Variety, the Children’s Charity, which will receive 100% of the proceeds. The editors and all contributors have agreed to this arrangement.

Meet the contributors

I hope you’ll take a few minutes and click through to the blogs of some of the other contributors. There are so many gems here:

Adrian Ho,
Aki Spicer,
Alex Henault,
Amy Jussel,
Andrew Odom,
Andy Nulman,
Andy Sernovitz,
Andy Whitlock,
Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham,
Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay,
Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins,
G. Kofi Annan,
G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw and James G. Lindberg, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem

Digest of Conflict Zen articles from the last month

In case you didn’t catch them the first time around, here’s a digest of the past month’s articles:

• Three coins: a story about the heart of negotiation
• Conflict Zen joins the 9rules network
• In workplace conflict, questions are different than questioning
• Garbage in, garbage out in conflict resolution, too
• Interpersonal conflict, runaway stories, and the legend of Rhonda Brickman
• 20 tired-and-true ways to unclutter a conflict
• The art of untangling conflict: a lesson from peacemaker Jimmy Carter
• A mediator’s take on stress
• Honoring conflict resolution day: what 1 thing will you do?
• Sherlock Holmes goes camping: a story about perception

Conflict Zen by Tammy Lenski is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at ConflictZen.com.