- Michael Webb compares the traditional competitive conversational style, with the more evolved style he calls the symphonic conversational style. “In a group competitive style, participants present their speeches to the group for judgment. Each participant tries to make the “winning” speech.”
By contrast, a symphonic conversational conversation is more productive and collaborative where “the speeches of the participants alternate constructively with each other, building toward some shared goals.”
The competitive style is played like a jousting tournament, whereas the symphonic style is more like basketball, with team players passing the ball snappily back and forth as they move toward a shared goal.