“OASIS Conversations” Teaches Business Leaders How to Replace Misunderstanding with Refreshing Conversations

by Kathy Grear 10/24/2016

New Book by Psychologist & Leadership Coach Ann Van Eron Offers Five-Step Process for Eliminating Miscommunication

Chicago, IL Oct. 24, 2016—Political polarization of historic proportions, volatile markets, a surge in racial violence—the world is uncertain these days. From the dinner table to the office to the streets, closed-mindedness and miscommunication are at the heart of this uncertainty—doing damage to relationships, bottom lines, and lives. But a new book released today holds the key to eliminating these misunderstandings—in all facets of society.

OASIS Conversations: Leading with an Open Mindset to Maximize Potential by psychologist, master coach, and top business consultant Ann Van Eron teaches readers, including business leaders, in simple and memorable terms how to replace misunderstandings with refreshing conversations. The method has already improved innovations and functions at places like the UN and GE Capital.

The book is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

Van Eron, the founder and principal of Potentials, a global coaching and organization development consulting firm, draws on more than twenty-five years of coaching experience and scientific brain research to teach readers a simple five-step process for mind-opening connections with others, called OASIS.

“When we are in judgment, our amygdala is activated, and we don’t see as many possibilities,” explained Van Eron. “But if we are in an open and mindful state then we see more possibilities—allowing for more innovation and productivity within organizations.”

Leaders within global organizations and Fortune 500 corporations such as the UN, the World Bank, GE Capital, and New York Presbyterian Hospital have seen the OASIS method improve innovation, efficiency, problem-solving, engagement, and relationships.

The OASIS method aims to turn the desert of miscommunication that exists into an oasis where people can have refreshing conversations. It is an acronym for the five steps or moves: Observation, Awareness, Shift, Importance, and Solution.

Here’s how it works. Say you notice a team member repeatedly coming late to a meeting. You:

• Observe what is happening and separate it from your assumption that this person doesn’t care about the work you’re doing; become
• Aware of what you are assuming, how you feel (angry or disappointed), and what you expect (for them to come on time);
• Shift to being open realizing that you don’t have all the information, and believe the person has the best intentions; recognize the
• Importance of what the meeting means to you and the other person by asking them what is going on; and explore
• Solutions together, such as changing the time of the meeting.

“A lot of energy is wasted because we misunderstand each other. What we need most are open-minded leaders who are emotionally mature and self-aware, and who are willing to pause and withhold judgment long enough to arrive at a new understanding of ‘what is,’” said Van Eron. “OASIS is a simple reminder for when someone is in an interaction to check themselves to make sure they’re putting judgment aside and being open.”

The book includes numerous scenarios and examples to illustrate each step, along with practice sections reinforcing lessons from each chapter. It provides a memorable process for how to interact with someone who has a different perspective (everyone). The key is adapting an open mindset and shifting from judgment to compassionate curiosity, thus opening minds for positive and productive relationships.

OASIS Conversations has already received rave reviews:

• “I highly recommend this book for every executive who wants to make change real.” — Sean McGrath, Ph.D., SVP, Global Human Resources, World Bank
• “Imagine yourself in a desert, where you are hot, thirsty, and probably also feeling cranky and desperate. Then you see an oasis and experience instant relief. OASIS Conversations can do the same thing for you in your relationships. It will bring you and the person you need to communicate with or with whom you need to resolve conflict to a place of agreement and understanding.” — Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D. and award-winning author of Narrow Lives and The Best Place
• “The OASIS method has been a safe haven for me in an uncertain world.” — Kelly Wojda, Director of Diversity & Talent, Caterpillar
• “Whether one aspires simply to be more socially intelligent or a more effective change leader—or both—following Ann’s advice and suggestions will lead the way for such a worthy journey and set of goals.”— W. Warner Burke, Ph.D., Teachers College, Columbia University
• “UN leaders consistently report successful results using the memorable and practical OASIS process.”— Maryel Janson, Learning, Leadership and Organization Development, United Nations

For more information, visit potentials.com/books-resources/open-minded-conversation or

www.oasisconversations.com.

OASIS Conversations: Leading with an Open Mindset to Maximize Potential

By Ann Van Eron

Open View Press

Oct.24, 2016

$27.95 hardback; 235 pages

ISBN hardback 978-0-9975136-0-8

About Ann Van Eron:

Ann Van Eron, Ph.D., MCC, is founder and principal of Potentials, a global coaching and organization development consulting firm, with experience in coaching leaders and teams all over the world for over twenty-five years.  She draws on scientific brain research, including emotional intelligence, to justify her methods and explain why people react and respond the way they do to certain scenarios. She also draws on years of personal and professional experiences. She is certified as a Master Coach and has a doctorate in Organization Psychology from Columbia University. For more information about Ann’s work and book, visit about www.Potentials.com.