Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

Stone, Douglas and etc. and Patton, Bruce and Heen, Sheila

ISBN 10: 0718143612 / ISBN 13: 9780718143619

Published by Michael Joseph Ltd, 1999

About this Item

Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Seller Inventory # CHL4719469

Bibliographic Details

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

Publisher: Michael Joseph Ltd

Publication Date: 1999

Binding: Paperback

Condition: Used; Good

About this title

Synopsis:

Asking for a raise, ending a relationship, saying no to someone in need. At work, home, and across the garden fence, difficult conversations are attempted or avoided every day. This book shows the reader how to manage their emotions and deal with these difficult conversations.

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