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Using Conversations

Contents

Access Scheduled Conversations

From the Conversations module, you'll see a list of current conversations along with the conversation name, type, and end date. The checkmarks indicate participants who have completed their side of the conversation. 

Note: For one-sided conversations, they'll only be marked one row of icons. 

Additional Contributors

If "Allow managers to invite additional contributors" is enabled in the scheduled conversation template, managers will be able to invite additional contributors. They can do this by going to the Conversations module, clicking the user silhouette beside the individual conversation, and selecting a user (or users).

Once the user (or users) have been selected, the icon above the contributor's initials will remain unmarked until they share.

If no users have been selected by the time the conversation cycle ends, that user silhouette will be replaced with a lock.

For their part, the contributor will receive a notification and see the conversation listed in their Conversations module (under the Additional Conversations header).

The manager will receive a notification when the contributor shares and the icon above their initials will change to a checkmark.

Lastly, managers will see the contributor's response beneath their own.

Note: For more information on conversation notifications, see this article. 

Skip Level Visibility

This feature allows skip level managers to view the conversations of managers who report to them and can help give leaders in an organization a better idea of what types of conversations are happening on the teams they manage, where they can better support the managers who report to them, and how they can best steer their organizations toward better performance.

Skip level visibility can be enabled by an administrator on a per-template basis to ensure that the conversations that need to be between a manager and their direct report can remain so. As such, some conversations may not be visible to skip level managers. Additionally, some conversations may allow skip level managers to see one level down, two levels down, or all the way down (if there are more than two levels below them in the reporting hierarchy). 

A user who has direct reports that are managers will automatically have a Skip Level Conversations tab in their Conversations module. This tab has a search field in the top-left corner which allows the skip level manager to select the manager for whom they wish to view conversations:

Note: Skip level managers can see a manager's responses to confidential questions. 

Launch An Anytime Conversation

Note: Anytime Conversation templates are created by an organization's administrators. For more information on configuring Anytime Conversations, see this article.

To launch an Anytime Conversation, click Create at the top-right corner of the Conversations module and select a conversation template from the drop-down menu. 

 

Note: Managers can delete anytime conversations before or after responses have been shared by both participants. 

Manager Changes (Taking Ownership)

Note: In order for a new manager to take ownership of a scheduled conversation, the new reporting structure must be defined through user management. 

In some cases, a conversation participant may be assigned to a new manager during a scheduled conversation cycle. When this occurs, current conversations can be assumed by the new manager. The new manager can do this by going to the Conversations module, accessing the conversation, and accepting the ownership prompt. Administrators cannot complete these steps on behalf of the new manager.

Note: Depending on the configuration of system notifications, the new manager may receive a notification prompting them to take ownership. They can then take ownership as long as the previous manager didn't share responses and the conversation cycle hasn't ended. If the conversation cycle was configured with a grace period, managers can take ownership during the grace period. 

Request to Edit

In order to reopen a conversation and add or edit responses, you will need to submit a request to edit. This can be done by accessing the conversation, clicking the sprocket icon (top-right corner) to trigger the drop-down menu, and selecting the "Request to edit" option.​

This action will add your name to the list of requests that are sent through automated email to the organization's administrators at approximately 5 PM (your organization's time zone). If the request is approved, you'll receive an automated email informing you of the decision. You'll then have an additional 7 days to complete your part of the conversation. If the request is denied, no email will be sent given that an administrator will likely reach out to you directly to discuss the policy and/or reason.

View Past Conversations

When a conversation cycle is over (meaning when you have passed both the due date and any applicable grace period), your Conversation will be placed in the Past. To locate those conversations, simply go to the Conversations module and click the drop-down menu to move from Current to Past.

Note: Once a user shares their responses, the Share button in the conversation will no longer be clickable. This is because the conversation has already been shared.  

Downloadable Resources

FAQs

Can a new manager view previous conversations and responses from additional contributors?

Yes, new managers can view previous conversations for their direct reports, and they will also be able to see any responses from additional contributors.