Fierce Foundations
You want better conversations at work. Where do you start?
Asking people to communicate more openly is a start. But what does that look like in practice? Fierce Foundations® introduces the principles of Fierce Conversations, helping people question assumptions, explore different perspectives and address what matters. It’s where we recommend every organization begin.
Where could Foundations fit in your organization?
Tell us what you’d like to improve about conversations at work. A Fierce advisor can help you explore how Foundations fits your team and where to begin.
2.5M
leaders trained
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years developing leaders
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The conversation gap
Why can well-intentioned conversations still miss the point?
People can leave the same conversation with different understandings of what was said. An assumption goes unchecked. A different perspective stays unspoken. Everyone moves on without realizing there’s more to discuss.
Fierce Foundations helps people recognize what they bring to a conversation and what they may be missing. Grounded in the Fierce Conversations methodology, it introduces a shared approach to examining what’s happening, learning from one another and addressing the issues that need attention.
Part of the Fierce Conversations® methodology
created by Susan Scott.
From intention to practice
What will people learn to do differently?
Check their assumptions
Notice when their interpretation may be incomplete and ask questions to understand more.
Make room for another perspective
Listen with curiosity and invite views that differ from their own.
Bring unspoken issues into the conversation
Recognize when something important is being left unsaid and begin addressing it.
Notice their impact
Consider how their words, attention and responses affect the person they’re speaking with.
The Fierce approach
What does Foundations teach?
Foundations introduces the why, what and how of Fierce Conversations:
- 3
Three transformational ideas: why conversations matter
Explore the role conversations play in how people work and relate to one another.
- 4
Four objectives: what to work toward
Interrogate reality, provoke learning, tackle tough challenges and enrich relationships.
- 7
Seven principles: how to put it into practice
Learn principles you can apply to the conversations you’re having and the ones you may be avoiding.
Together, these provide a foundation to build on as you learn other Fierce skills.
A shared starting point
Is Foundations just for leaders?
Conversations shape work at every level. We recommend Foundations as the starting point for every organization beginning with Fierce.
Leaders and managers
Build a shared approach you can use in your own conversations and reinforce with your team.
Teams and individual contributors
Develop a common basis for raising questions, sharing perspectives and discussing the work you do together.
Organizations introducing Fierce
Establish the core principles before building on them through coaching, feedback and other Fierce programs.
Fierce in practice · Ernst & Young
What can a shared approach look like in practice?
Ernst & Young integrated Fierce concepts and models into its professional development courses, giving people a common approach to conversations across different work situations.
“Through the licensing agreement, we are creating a common language and methodology for having meaningful conversations in a variety of contexts.”
Mike Hamilton
Chief Learning & Development Officer, Americas, Ernst & Young
Title at the time of the case study
Ways to learn
How can your team learn Foundations?
Choose the format that fits how your people work and learn.
In person
Facilitated learning that gives people space to practice, reflect and work through real organizational challenges together.
Virtual
Live, interactive sessions designed to build skills across distributed teams without sacrificing participation or application.
On demand
Flexible learning that supports individual development, reinforcement and broader access across the organization.
A Fierce advisor can help you choose a format and plan how Foundations fits into your organization’s learning path.
Build on Foundations
Build the next conversation skill
Coach
Fierce Coach®
Help someone explore a challenge and find their own next step through a focused coaching conversation.
Feedback
Fierce Feedback®
Put openness into practice through candid, two-way conversations about what’s working and what needs attention.
