Discover the Proven “Low Drama, High Joy” Method for Productive, Empathy-Based Communication and Collaboration.
Why do so many organizations, teams, couples, families, and groups who should be working together end up wasting energy on unproductive conflict? Even when everyone has the same general goals, what’s often missing is a deeper alignment based on mutual trust, respect, and empathy. With Radical Alignment, top-level life and business coaches (and happily married couple) Alexandra Jamieson and Bob Gower share their potent method for helping groups to stop clashing and start working together—to jump from “we can’t” to an enthusiastic “hell yes!”
The essential tool at the heart of Radical Alignment is the All-In Method: a four-step approach to communication designed to increase clarity, minimize miscommunication, honor each person’s individuality, and build a shared sense of trust and respect for long-term success. With easy-to-follow instruction, Jamieson and Gower bring you:
• The Foundations of Great Communication—what works, what doesn’t, and how to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your own style • The All-In Method—a step-by-step walk-through of this proven approach to getting into radical alignment with others • The Method in Action—examples and exercises for using the All-In Method at work, at home, and in any situation • Scripts, suggestions, guidance, and additional resources for making this a lifelong practice for greater connection and intimacy
“We believe passionately that the world needs more aligned teams in our businesses, organizations, communities, families, and intimate partnerships,” write the authors. “This means we need people who are able to have powerful and clear exchanges that build better connections.” Radical Alignment brings you a “low drama, high joy” technique to transform the way you collaborate and communicate in every area of your life.
As the best-selling author of five books including Radical Alignment, Women, Food & Desire, and co-creator and co-star of the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me, Alexandra Jamieson is an activist artist, veteran coach and mentor, and motivational guide for thousands.
Alex has made it her mission to empower people to slay their shame, and shine their creative unique souls to the world.
Her activist art includes the Abortion Trading Cards and book, and the Fascism Tarot Deck.
Her latest book Radical Alignment, co-authored with her husband Bob Gower, published August 11, 2020.
Alex has developed many interactive workshops, retreats, and private coaching programs.
Her work has been featured in O Magazine, Goop, Martha Stewart Living, the New York Times, CNN, Elle, Marie Claire, USA Today, People, and the American Heart Association amongst many others.
Alex is also an award-winning watercolor painter and loves leaving her laptop to get lost in creating commissioned works for clients around the world.
I wrote this book with my husband Bob Gower... so I'm biased! And it feels like the most important book I've written, out of the 6. Through my Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families work, coaching, therapy, and being an entrepreneur for 20 years, I've had to learn the art of talking about tough topics. This is a distillation of it all. Hope you enjoy it and get masterful with your communication, too.
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me this book. It focus how to make a good communication in our life. Alex and Bob promoted their unique method, called AIM "All-in Method". This book to be used a tool in conversation will help bring more empathy, respect, care in our relationship.
It was elaborated with several examples to sharp the AIM method. However, it was not supported with picture, graph to make it easier to understand.
This is quite good. Even if you don't' use the exact approaches they advocate, you can still pick up some tips. The ideas have fairly broad implementation, and the reader will need to be a bit patient since it may take some time for the ideas to sink in for some people, and really the only way to practice it is to use it, which may also take some time. Recommended.
I love a good framework. I also love learning new skills and approaches for effective communication. This book delivers on both. Alex and Bob have distilled years of wisdom and practice into a worthy read.
Who couldn’t use an alignment in communication? It seems to be whereat companies I’ve worked for had its biggest struggles! For some reason people just don’t feel heard. I recommend all those who live or work where communication is lacking to read. This. Book!
Radical Alignment by Alexandra Jamieson and Bob Gower lays out the foundation to using what they call the All-In Method, or AIM. Basically, this method guides the couple or group towards better communication so everyone feels heard. It helps all parties to share their thoughts, boundaries, challenges, and dreams. AIM guides the conversation so everyone can share their own thoughts and feelings and everyone can get a sense of where the others are coming from.
While I try my best to stay out of the conflicts at work, I can see how using AIM might be useful so that everyone feels heard and the others get a better feel for their boundaries. So often, I see the newer people have ideas or thoughts that are instantly ignored by those who have been around longer. It’s unfortunate when great ideas aren’t taken seriously or even considered.
Putting AIM to practice takes time, but you can get lots of practice with just a few friends or even your own family while planning your next dinner or vacation. Maybe even taking your friends on vacation with your family! They say the more the merrier, but I digress!
Radical Alignment by Alexandra Jamieson and Bob Gower was provided complimentary in exchange for an honest review. I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras because it is very useful in any conversation to communicate better and I am encouraged to start using the steps of AIM towards a more effective communication dialogue.
3 Sentence Summary: Conflict is more often created by a lack of shared understanding than by a lack of alignment on the issue itself. You can use the All-In-Method, combined with deep listening, to create this shared understanding. Don’t discuss tough topics if one party is angry, hungry, or under the influence.
My Thoughts: While this isn’t technically a book about life coaching, it provides a valuable framework for having challenging conversations. You can teach this framework to your clients and use it to create strong agreements with them. After reading this book, my wife and I used the framework to prepare for a visit with her parents and the visit went incredibly well.
Key Takeaways: Use the All-In-Method (AIM) to discuss tough topics:
Intentions - e.g. what would you like to get out of this conversation or project?
Concerns - e.g. what concerns do you have? What issues are likely to arise?
Boundaries - e.g. what do you need to be at your personal best?
Dreams - e.g. if this goes incredibly well, what will that look like?
Read This If: You want to get on the same page with someone about an important topic. Or, you want to improve your communication skills generally.
Being able to articulate my fears to my husband when we're having conversations has completely transformed the way we talk about hard topics. Putting into words what I'm truly afraid of in a situation, whether it be personal or work-related, changed the conversation. Our normal defenses are gone (mostly, we're still human) and we're able to navigate our way through hard things as partners, instead of locking horns. Being able to articulate "fear" in our conversations has been the most transformative part of the Radical Alignment process for us. Thank you, Alex & Bob.
It's always too much to expect a book titled Radical Alignment: How to Have Game-Changing Conversations That Will Transform Your Business and Your Life would actually offer info to help me transform my life. Also, to get to that transformation, I kept reading and advancing the chapters, wondering when I would actually get to the All In Method the book kept referencing. I don't think it really came in until about 61% of the book and, by then, I was wondering if it would rally materialize.
So, I won't giveaway the template, but what I will say is the concept before going into the AIM conversation is common sense BUT we probably rarely go into big conversations -- emotional ones, discussion with a huge ask, etc. -- with prepared, calm, huge emotions parked aside. I think the key is the preparation and less about their outline.
One thing I will say is that I appreciated the sample AIM outlines they provided. So often you get a template and wish someone can give you ideas on how to use it. My only frustration with the e-galley from NetGalley lacks formatting that I think would've helped me appreciate the authors' work if I can see it better organized than a slew of text.
I didn't quite know how badly I needed this book until I started reading it and realized I've spent my whole life shying away from hard conversations...to the point usually of disaster. I would be so afraid to have the hard conversations and have any kind of confrontation that I would put it off until things just boiled over. I finally have the tools and knowledge to go through life differently and it's already making a positive impact in my day to day life. I am so grateful to Alex and Bob for writing this brilliantly helpful book...I didn't know how badly I needed to learn this invaluable life skill! A must read!!!
As a psychotherapist for more than two decades, I can confidently say that effective communication that promotes cooperation and understanding instead of defensiveness and hurt feelings, is one of the top challenges for my clients. The framework taught in, Radical Alignment, for upping your ability to effectively communicate can be used by anyone in any circumstance. This little book is packed with tips, language, strategies, and a step by step process that works! As soon as I finished reading it, I immediately started recommending it to my clients. A deep bow of gratitude to Alexandra Jamieson and Bob Gower for making my job easier!
For someone who is basically talking to people daily as a core part of my work and as a storyteller, it was staggering how ineffective I was being at it. The beauty if this book is that is has a place in both life and work. In a lot of ways I wish there had been a text like this in my twenties.
The AIM system seems simple once you learn about it, but the power is in how Alex and Bob articulate the methods in which you integrate it into your life and work, and how you maintain the habit.
I first heard about AIM on a podcast with Barry O'Reilly. I thought the approach and description sounded interesting so I bought the book. Within a few days I had successfully tested the approach and found it worked beautifully. There are lots of great examples in this book that will suit most situations. It is a great resource. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent and practical guide for communicators, facilitators, connectors, and anyone looking for a repeatable framework that can help increase positive relational experiences with other people (the authors call this a ‘low drama, high joy’ approach). I picked the book up looking for thoughts on group leadership but I’ve found the principles in the book helping me as much at home with my family as it is in my professional relationships. Highly recommend this valuable resource!
The book is about the All-In Method, which a a tool that enables individuals and groups to have a guided conversation to gain clarity and develop a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, each other and their shared experience.
The book provides details on how to use the tool in many situations and different scenarios at both professional and personal level.
The book is a must-read for anyone looking for enhanced communications and better alignment.
This is an interesting book with lots of great ideas for many different situations. It gives you a different perspective on how to react ( or not react) with different groups or individuals. Thank you Alexandra for the free book!
Don't buy if you're a practical person, this just some explanation on something for those who like philosophical things, you already know, but actually you just don't dig deeper enough. This book is good tho!