4. F.U.E.L. - for challenging conversations

In this episode I’d like to share a phenomenal tool, that I had the opportunity to use at AirHelp and some other places. I find it useful in a lot of areas; it doesn’t require any expenses, installation work or hardware – yet it can change your life. The tool I’m talking about is FUEL. The spelling might suggest diesel or gasoline, but it’s an acronym that I’m going to explain a minute. I think the human life hardly ever needs to be outlined or follow fixed action patterns. In most cases, when we decide to follow a fixed procedure, say, in our everyday communication, it is perceived as something very unnatural or overly formal, associated rather with corporations, heavy industry, science, academic circles – anywhere where following procedures and going by the book is more common. Such were my thoughts when I first encountered the FUEL procedure. I was introduced to it as an AirHelp management member at a 2-day workshop I attended in our New York office, given by Jason Gore and Michael Costurosa of Neuberg, Gore & Associates. Even though I knew they are wise people, Harvard lecturers, I remained sceptical about the form of conversation offered by FUEL until I saw how it actually works. Since that moment, a lot has changed in the management team at AirHelp. Among other things, this tool helped us talk in a totally different way, improve our communication skills and solve lots of problems that were earlier swept under the carpet or solved while generating huge amounts of negative energy.