Forward Talk
The Bold New Method For Getting Teams Unstuck
Will be published approx. on 5. May 2026
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-64687-247-3 (ISBN)
Description
Teams don't get stuck because of poor communication skills. They get stuck because smart, capable people choose not to speak up-and leaders rarely notice until those patterns are hardwired.
People talk in circles, revisit old decisions, and mistake activity for progress. The result is conversational debt-the compound cost of the conversations people avoid. Not because they're afraid, but because they've learned that speaking up doesn't change anything.
Forward Talk exposes this hidden force that quietly drains performance, trust, and alignment. It reveals why the corporate obsession with "psychological safety" has become a bandage for deeper issues, how well-intended teams hide behind politeness, and what it takes to break through the false harmony that prevents real progress.
Drawing on twenty-five years of facilitating high-stakes conversations with Fortune 500 leaders and frontline teams in more than thirty countries, Gustavo Razzetti introduces a research-backed, practice-proven framework for turning stuck conversations into forward movement.
Readers will learn to recognize and reverse the three destructive conversational patterns that keep teams trapped:
Avoidance: staying silent or skirting the real issue, hoping it resolves itself
Blame: focusing on who's at fault instead of what's next
Groupthink: chasing false harmony and mistaking agreement for alignment
Through real stories, diagnostic tools, and actionable practices, Forward Talk helps teams rebuild voice, agency, and momentum. It's for leaders, facilitators, HR professionals, and change agents who know that success isn't determined by effort-it's determined by whether people believe their voices matter.
People talk in circles, revisit old decisions, and mistake activity for progress. The result is conversational debt-the compound cost of the conversations people avoid. Not because they're afraid, but because they've learned that speaking up doesn't change anything.
Forward Talk exposes this hidden force that quietly drains performance, trust, and alignment. It reveals why the corporate obsession with "psychological safety" has become a bandage for deeper issues, how well-intended teams hide behind politeness, and what it takes to break through the false harmony that prevents real progress.
Drawing on twenty-five years of facilitating high-stakes conversations with Fortune 500 leaders and frontline teams in more than thirty countries, Gustavo Razzetti introduces a research-backed, practice-proven framework for turning stuck conversations into forward movement.
Readers will learn to recognize and reverse the three destructive conversational patterns that keep teams trapped:
Avoidance: staying silent or skirting the real issue, hoping it resolves itself
Blame: focusing on who's at fault instead of what's next
Groupthink: chasing false harmony and mistaking agreement for alignment
Through real stories, diagnostic tools, and actionable practices, Forward Talk helps teams rebuild voice, agency, and momentum. It's for leaders, facilitators, HR professionals, and change agents who know that success isn't determined by effort-it's determined by whether people believe their voices matter.
Reviews / Votes
"A convincing case that far too many institutions, and their leaders, fail to prioritize effective communication as a pivotal part of achieving their goals." -- <B>KIRKUS REVIEWS</B> "A convincing case that far too many institutions, and their leaders, fail to prioritize effective communication as a pivotal part of achieving their goals." -- <B>KIRKUS REVIEWS</B> "Gustavo Razzetti nails something most leaders miss: People don't stay silent because they're afraid; they stay silent because they think speaking up won't matter. FORWARD TALK shows how small, practical shifts can replace polite stagnation with trust, clarity, and momentum. You won't sit silently through a pointless meeting again." -- <B>DANIEL H. PINK</B> * <B>#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of THE POWER OF REGRET and DRIVE</B> * "Razzetti brilliantly captures a truth I've witnessed countless times: teams often fail not because people lack talent, but because they avoid the conversations that matter most. Forward Talk offers leaders practical tools to build what every effective team needs - the courage and skill to address what's really going on and then move forward. If you want to lead a team that thrives on productive conflict rather than polite avoidance, this book is essential reading." -- <B>AMY GALLO</B> * <B>Contributing Editor, Harvard Business Review and Author of Getting Along</B> * "Teams often assume that speaking up won't change the status quo, creating what Gustavo Razzetti calls conversational debt: unspoken concerns, avoided truths, and circular discussions that stall progress. Gustavo piloted this methodology with our leadership cohort. In a large, decentralized institution like ours, communication often gets diluted across colleges and administrative layers.His Forward Talk framework breaks that cycle. It gives leaders a practical way to move beyond blame, avoidance, and groupthink while strengthening trust. It's not just another tool-it's a courageous, transformative way of leading that helps teams surface real issues and create meaningful forward momentum." -- <B>TRICIA BACHUS </B> * <B>Sr. Leadership and Organizational Development Specialist, University of Florida</B> * "Forward Talk is a must read for every leader who's tired of their team crumbling under the weight of unspoken concerns and unresolved conflicts. Razzetti has created an accessible guide that shows you how to draw out honesty and alignment in conversations to drive better results." -- <B>MELODY WILDING </B> * <b>LMSW, Author of MANAGING UP</b> * "We can't change what we can't talk about. And what we don't talk about creates what Gustavo Razzetti calls 'Conversational Debt' which compounds into teams that spin and fail to move forward. This book will help you unravel what is holding you, your relationships and teams back from breaking through to the next level." -- <b>GREG MCKEOWN </b> * <b>New York Times Bestselling Author of Essentialism, Effortless, and The Essentialism Planner</b> * "This book names a hidden problem most leaders face: conversational debt-and shows how to break free from it." -- <b>DR. TASHA EURICH</b> * <B>New York Times Bestselling Author of Shatterproof, Insight, and Bankable Leadership</B> * "Gustavo doesn't sugarcoat team dynamics. Forward Talk reflects the same bold, practical approach he brings to real conversations-naming what people avoid and helping teams move forward without blame or theatrics. The shift was visible: tougher topics surfaced earlier, peers challenged each other with respect instead of retreating, and trust climbed because people could finally see that their voice had agency and moved the work forward." -- <b>TOM LEEMANS</b> * <B>Global Ice Cream Director, Mars Wrigley </B> * "Forward Talk is a must-read for every leader who's tired of their team crumbling under the weight of unspoken concerns and unresolved conflicts. Razzetti has created an accessible guide that shows you how to draw out honesty and alignment in conversations to drive better results." -- <b>MELODY WILDING</b> * <b>LMSW, Author of Managing Up</b> * "Forward Talk works great for people who might be scared to speak, as it gives them a way of reframing that doesn't abruptly challenge the status quo." -- <b>ASHTHA LAGOO</b> * <B>Sr. Program Manager, Google</B> *
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
658 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64687-247-3 (9781646872473)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2026
Simon + Schuster LLC
€12.85
Available for download
Person
GUSTAVO RAZZETTI is a culture change instigator, speaker, and CEO of Fearless Culture, a culture design consultancy. He helps leaders build teams that talk about what matters-even when it's uncomfortable. His real-life insights come from leading more than 1,500 workshops with teams at Mars, Microsoft, Merck, Globant, and the Inter-American Development Bank. A regular contributor to Psychology Today, his work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, and Forbes. He is the author of Remote, Not Distant and Stretch for Change. Gustavo helps teams say what everyone's thinking but no one's saying.