Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

By Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler and Stephen

* R. Covey/Paperback/240 pages * McGraw Hill/First edition. 2002 * ISBN 0-07-140194-6 * List Price $10.67

When stakes are high, opinions vary and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation badly and suffer the consequences; or you can read "Crucial Conversations" and discover how to communicate best when it matters most. This wise and witty guide gives you the tools you need to step up to life's most difficult and important conversations, say what's on your mind, and achieve positive outcomes that will amaze you. This is particularly useful in corporate or government settings, where you need to express your opinion but have to do it diplomatically.

Crucial conversations are interpersonal exchanges at work or at home that we dread having but know we cannot avoid. How do you say what needs to be said while avoiding an argument with a boss, child or relationship partner? This book offers us a proven seven-point strategy for achieving our goals in all the emotionally, psychologically or legally charged situations that can arise in our professional and personal lives.

Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler are top international corporate consultants and cofounders of Vitality Alliance Inc. and VitalSmarts. Together they have developed corporate training programs for dozens of Fortune 500 companies.

Based on their popular "DialogueSmart" training seminars, the techniques are geared toward getting people to lower their defenses, creating mutual respect and understanding, increasing emotional safety, and encouraging freedom of expression.

Among other things, we also learn about the four main factors that characterize crucial conversations, and the authors present a powerful six-minute mastery technique for working through any high-impact situation with confidence.

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In this book, you will learn how to

* Prepare for high-impact situations with a six-minute mastery technique

* Make it safe to talk about almost anything

* Be persuasive, not abrasive

* Keep listening when others blow up or clam up

* Turn crucial conversations into the action and results you want

Whether they take place at work or at home, with your neighbors or your spouse, crucial conversations can have a profound impact on your career, your happiness and your future. With the skills you learn in this book, you'll never have to worry about the outcome of a crucial conversation again. This is a gem of a book on learning how to talk.