Having Difficult Conversations

by Harvard Business Review

Build your ability to discuss the toughest topics at work.

There will be times in our careers when we face conversations that dredge up tough emotions. Our instinct may be to avoid them entirely or to meet criticism with defensiveness. But learning to effectively engage in challenging conversations can create opportunities to build stronger teams and organizations.

Having Difficult Conversations explores how to use empathy and active listening to handle complicated discussions at work. You'll learn how to communicate productively under stress, offer and accept critical feedback, and ensure your team walks away from challenging conversations as a united front.

How to be human at work. The HBR Emotional Intelligence Series features smart, essential reading on the human side of professional life from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Each book in the series offers proven research showing how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work. Uplifting and practical, these books describe the social skills that are critical for ambitious professionals to master.

Genres: Communication, Self Help

176 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2025

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tiny book, a quick overview of how to handle difficult conversations. I feel like this is a helpful book to review in the moment, in the settings that apply, but that delving further into the concepts would definitely be needed to be an even better communicator.

[Tania]

supongo que gracias Quispe(?

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing quick read that helps you view conflict in a positive way with demonstrated strategies to help you in many work situations.

[Gert · Rating 2 out of 5]

quite superficial and basic tips & tricks, but limited in new ideas.