Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

Patton, Bruce; Stone, Douglas; Heen, Sheila

ISBN 10: 0670883395 / ISBN 13: 9780670883394

Published by Viking Adult, 1999

About this Item

In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! Seller Inventory # Q-0670883395

Bibliographic Details

Title: Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What...

Publisher: Viking Adult

Publication Date: 1999

Binding: hardcover

Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis:

Helps readers work gracefully and effectively through such confrontational situations as ending relationships and asking for a raise, identifying key adjustments necessary to the dialogue process. 60,000 first printing. Tour.

Review:

We've all been there: We know we must confront a coworker, store clerk, or friend about some especially sticky situation--and we know the encounter will be uncomfortable. So we repeatedly mull it over until we can no longer put it off, and then finally stumble through the confrontation. Difficult Conversations, by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen, offers advice for handling these unpleasant exchanges in a manner that accomplishes their objective and diminishes the possibility that anyone will be needlessly hurt. The authors, associated with Harvard Law School and the Harvard Project on Negotiation, show how such dialogues actually comprise three separate components: the "what happened" conversation (verbalizing what we believe really was said and done), the "feelings" conversation (communicating and acknowledging each party's emotional impact), and the "identity" conversation (expressing the situation's underlying personal meaning). The explanations and suggested improvements are, admittedly, somewhat complicated. And they certainly don't guarantee positive results. But if you honestly are interested in elevating your communication skills, this book will walk you through both mistakes and remedies in a way that will boost your confidence when such unavoidable clashes arise. --Howard Rothman