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How to have difficult conversations

Joseph Grenny is a four-time New York Times bestselling author and leading social scientist for business performance. One of his most popular books is “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High.”
So what’s a crucial conversation? Grenny defines it as a moment when opinions differ, the stakes are high, and emotions are strong.

In his 25 years of studying organizations and their dynamics, Grenny has found that when organizations are stuck or frustrated it can often be traced to “crucial conversations that they are not holding, or not holding well.” Knowing how to have difficult conversations is a competitive advantage and important for growth and progress.

So how do you overcome an impasse like this in a healthy way?

Candor needs to be cultivated. Candor provides a solid foundation of safety. He recommends setting the stage for candor – and safety – like this:

  1. Establish Mutual Purpose.Grenny calls this the Entrance Condition:  “You know that I care about your goals.”
  2. Emphasize Mutual Respect.This is the Continuance Condition:  “You know that I care about you.”

Candor and safety goes a long way in achieving more successful and productive conversations at home, in the office, and any place else you may encounter them.

Click here to learn more about Grenny and the art and science of having crucial conversations.

Have a great week.

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