Better conversations shouldn’t require a qualification.
Every Chair Has a Story began with the conversations that happen naturally between professionals and the people who sit in their chairs. But we quickly realised the chair was bigger than the chair.
Because conversations happen everywhere.
Between leaders and their teams. Colleagues. Customers and the people serving them. Drivers and passengers. Salespeople and clients. Volunteers and communities. Friends, neighbours and strangers.
Every Chair Has a Story has grown into a programme and collection of resources for anyone who wants to have better conversations with other people.
Built around five simple principles, Create, Hold, Ask, Invite and Respect, the programme develops practical human skills: creating trust, listening properly, asking with curiosity, helping people think for themselves and knowing where appropriate boundaries lie.
Because better conversations shouldn’t belong only to people with letters after their name.
BETTER CONVERSATIONS. EVERYWHERE THEY MATTER.
Every Chair Has a Story isn’t about turning people into coaches.
It’s about developing the human skills that make everyday conversations better: listening properly, creating trust, asking thoughtful questions, helping people think and knowing when to step back.
That matters wherever people work with people.
Leadership · Customer Service · Sales · Teams · Frontline Services · Communities · Volunteers · One-to-One Professionals
Whether it’s a manager having a difficult conversation, a colleague noticing someone isn’t themselves, a salesperson trying to understand rather than simply sell, or a driver talking to a passenger, the quality of the conversation can change what happens next.
THE 1871 CHAIR FRAMEWORK
Five simple principles for better human conversations.
C — CREATE
Create a space where people feel comfortable enough to be themselves.
H — HOLD
Be present without rushing to fix, advise or rescue.
A — ASK
Use genuine curiosity and thoughtful questions.
I — INVITE
Help people explore their own thoughts, choices and possibilities.
R — RESPECT
Understand the boundaries of the conversation, your role and when to step back or signpost.
Created by 1871: A Time Before, the CHAIR framework gives people something simple enough to remember and practical enough to use in real conversations.
WHAT COULD BETTER CONVERSATIONS CHANGE IN YOUR ORGANISATION?
Think about how many moments in an ordinary working day depend on one human being talking to another.
A manager giving feedback. A colleague asking if someone is okay. A customer making a complaint. A salesperson trying to understand what somebody actually needs. A team dealing with disagreement. Someone having a conversation they weren’t expecting to have.
Every Chair Has a Story helps people become more confident in those moments.
It can support organisations wanting to strengthen:
Leadership and management · Communication · Listening · Customer experience · Team relationships · Psychological safety · Curiosity · People skills · Everyday wellbeing conversations
And importantly:
People don’t leave with a script for what to say.
They leave better equipped for the conversation that’s actually in front of them.
BRING EVERY CHAIR HAS A STORY TO YOUR PEOPLE
Every Chair Has a Story can be brought into businesses, teams, professional groups, community organisations and other places where better conversations matter.
The programme is story-led, participative and practical, using conversation, reflection and activities rather than relying on traditional slide-heavy training.
It can be delivered directly by 1871, and we’re also developing opportunities for experienced facilitators to deliver the programme within their own work.
Want to explore what Every Chair Has a Story could bring to your people?
Click below to take a look at the brochure.
