Accenture discovers that it really is good to talk: Conversation and storytelling in management development

What do you talk about over your evening meal? The day’s events, the current political situation, maybe the results of the latest football game? Chances are, you will not be mentioning work. However, this was not the case for high flyers at consultants Accenture (formally Andersen Consulting) when they attended a recent management development course at Oxford University in the UK. Rather than small talk their way through the evening meals, each participant dined with a senior representative from one of Accenture’s venture partners. Subjects to discuss were printed on the menu and a facilitator at each table made sure the conversations did not drift or stall.