Difficult Conversations
How to Discuss What Matters Most
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
The 10th anniversary edition of the classic guide to handling life's toughest conversations
What is a difficult conversation?
Asking for a pay rise, saying 'no' to your boss or spouse, confronting a friend, apologizing. We all have conversations that we dread and find unpleasant. But can we develop the skills to make such situations less stressful and more productive?
Based on fifteen years of research and consultations with thousands of people, Difficult Conversations pinpoints what works. It teaches us to work through them by understanding that we're not engaging in one dialogue but three:
- The "what happened" conversation (what do we believe was said and done)
- The "feelings" conversation (the emotional impact on everyone involved)
- The "identity" conversation (what does this mean for everyone's opinion of themselves)
Use this ground-breaking, step-by-step book to turn your difficult conversations into positive, problem-solving experiences.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bringing together the insights of such diverse disciplines as law, organizational behavior, cognitive, family and social psychology and "dialogue" studies, Stone, Patton and Heen, who teach at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Negotiation Project, illustrate how to handle the challenges involved in effectively resolving "difficult conversations," whether in an interpersonal, business or political context. While many of their points are simplistic--don't ignore your feelings, consider the other person's intentions, take a break from the situation--they're often overlooked in stressful moments. Most useful are the strategies for disarming the impulse to lay blame and for exploring one's own contribution to a tense situation. Also of value are specific recommendations for bringing emotions directly into a difficult discussion by talking about them and paying attention to the way they can subtly inform judgments and accusations. If these recommendations aren't followed, the authors contend, emotions will seep into the discussion in other, usually damaging, ways. Stone, Patton and Heen illustrate their points with anecdotes, scripted conversations and familiar examples in a clear, easy-to-browse format. While "difficult conversations" may not have the intrinsic appeal of the Harvard Negotiation Project's previous bestseller, Getting to Yes, this book is a cogent resource for those who see the sense in preparing for tough talks in advance. FYI: Patton is the co-author of Getting to Yes.
