Managing Difficult Conversations at Work

by Sue Clark, Mel Myers

Difficult conversations at work can be highly destructive both for the people involved and for the life and work of the organisation to which they belong. Handling a conflict of views, saying something critical, resolving divided loyalties, responding to pressure - if these and similar situations that make conversations difficult are not dealt with effectively, then both morale and task achievement inevitably suffer. The aim of this book is to enable those operating at all levels in an organisation to manage difficult conversations in a way that enhances relationships and improves performance. The book provides a unique new approach to analysing the requirements common to all difficult conversations and employing strategies which will work for both parties. It is based on a coaching programme which the authors have been working on and delivering for 20 years. The book common pitfalls in approaching difficult conversations; the ten most common types of difficult conversation; the prevailing "closed-to-learning" approach to such situations; the three principles of the authors' new "open-to-learning" system; the form of words required to implement these principles; and numerous examples and exercises designed to improve readers' understanding and technique in putting this new approach into practice.

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2007