Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Difficult Conversations (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)
    Difficult Conversations (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)
    Difficult Conversations (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)
    Ebook78 pages1 hour

    Difficult Conversations (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)

    By Harvard Business Review

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    You have to talk with a colleague about a fraught situation, but you're worried that they'll yell, or blame you, or shut down. You fear your emotions could block you from a resolution. But you can communicate in a way that's constructive--not combative. Difficult Conversations walks you through:

    • Uncovering the root cause of friction
    • Maintaining a positive mind-set
    • Untangling the problem together
    • Agreeing on a way forward

    Don't have much time? Get up to speed fast on the most essential business skills with HBR's 20-Minute Manager series. Whether you need a crash course or a brief refresher, each book in the series is a concise, practical primer that will help you brush up on a key management topic. Advice you can quickly read and apply, for ambitious professionals and aspiring executives--from the most trusted source in business. Also available as an ebook.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarvard Business Review Press
    Release dateJan 26, 2016
    ISBN9781633690790
    Difficult Conversations (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)
    Author

    Harvard Business Review

    Harvard Business Review es sin lugar a dudas la referencia más influyente en el sector editorial en temas de gestión y desarrollo de personas y de organizaciones. En sus publicaciones participan investigadores de reconocimiento y prestigio internacional, lo que hace que su catálogo incluya una gran cantidad de obras que se han convertido en best-sellers traducidos a múltiples idiomas.

    Read more from Harvard Business Review

    Related to Difficult Conversations (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)

    Related ebooks

    Management For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      10 Ways to Fail Miserably at Office Politics

      Apr 30, 2021

      “Office politics,” says Boston-based Karen Dillon, “is impossible to avoid. But it is manageable if you know what not to do. As the former editor of the Harvard Business Review magazine and author of the HBR Guide to Office Politics, Dillon provides

      3 min read

    • Article

      Why Do Incompetent People Become Business Leaders?

      Nov 20, 2019

      If you have ever had a manager, or perhaps even your CEO, who was not only incompetent but dishonest, manipulative, narcissistic and a first-class jerk and wondered how such a person could have attained their position, you are not alone. And, you've

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Fearless Organization

      May 1, 2019

      The Fearless Organization
      9 min read

    • Article

      Work It Out

      Jan 27, 2020

      Work It Out
      2 min read

    • Article

      Make yourself HEARD

      May 13, 2020

      Make yourself HEARD
      3 min read

    • Article

      Yes, It’s Possible!

      May 28, 2021

      Maturity is key. This will help with better communication and building towards the couple’s bigger picture. In the case of a partner who struggles with communication, enlist the help of an objective professional. Time conversations, and pick fights c

      1 min read

    • Article

      Estate Planning: 3 Tips to Get Your Family Talking More Effectively

      Oct 23, 2018

      Picture this. You've decided to tell your kids about your estate plan. This is a big step for you and your family. You want to be more transparent, you want to share more information, and you want the kids to be thrilled that they are being brought i

      3 min read

    • Article

      Craving Connection

      Feb 25, 2018

      Craving Connection
      6 min read

    • Article

      How Top Performers Achieve More

      Sep 1, 2018

      We studied 5,000 managers and employees—across corporate America, seeking to answer a fundamental question: Why do top performers perform better in their job than others? What we found surprised us: The top performers across organizations actually wo

      6 min read

    • Article

      8 Skills To Achieve Success

      Aug 25, 2022

      8 Skills To Achieve Success
      5 min read

    • Article

      Can a Divorced Couple Keep a Business Afloat?

      Nov 9, 2021

      There’s something special about running a business with your spouse. When two people can work together to build a strong marriage and a strong company, it’s a beautiful thing. However, even the strongest couples can sometimes fall out of love. When t

      4 min read

    • Article

      Skills You Need To Handle Tough Conversations

      Feb 13, 2021

      THE words nobody in a relationship wants to hear – according to Urban Dictionary, “It’s not you...it’s me” is the biggest lie ever. It truly means, “it’s not me, it’s you”. Ending a relationship is a hard conversation that we all have to have at some

      2 min read

    • Article

      A Fresh Start

      Feb 1, 2020

      A Fresh Start
      2 min read

    • Article

      Measuring Success

      Sep 1, 2018

      In many cases, what people thought was a ‘meaningful purpose’ was merely their pursuit of success — and these are two very different things. Once we reach a career milestone, the gap between what we expect to feel and what we actually feel can come a

      5 min read

    • Article

      HOW TO DO disputes

      May 7, 2020

      What happens when a professional creative relationship breaks down and leads to dispute? Whether there’s disagreement about royalties or rights control with your publisher, or issues in your relationship with your agent, or conflict over ownership wi

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Difficult Conversations (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)

    4/5

    29 ratings3 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Great practical insights to manage conflict at each and every sphere of life.
    • 4/5
      short and good book. It is worth to read it
    • 5/5
      The book is very informative in tackling how are we going to navigate difficult conversations. It presents the steps which are comprehensive yet not rigid in structure. It helps the reader how to prepare and deal with parties you may not necessarily agree with.

    Book preview

    Difficult Conversations (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series) - Harvard Business Review

    Difficult Conversations

    Get up to speed fast on essential business skills. Whether you’re looking for a crash course or a brief refresher, you’ll find just what you need in HBR’s 20-Minute Manager series—foundational reading for ambitious professionals and aspiring executives. Each book is a concise, practical primer, so you’ll have time to brush up on a variety of key management topics.

    Advice you can quickly read and apply, from the most trusted source in business.

    Titles include:

    Creating Business Plans

    Delegating Work

    Difficult Conversations

    Finance Basics

    Getting Work Done

    Giving Effective Feedback

    Innovative Teams

    Managing Projects

    Managing Time

    Managing Up

    Performance Reviews

    Presentations

    Running Meetings

    Difficult Conversations

    Craft a clear message

    Manage emotions

    Focus on a solution

    HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW PRESS

    Boston, Massachusetts

    HBR Press Quantity Sales Discounts

    Harvard Business Review Press titles are available at significant quantity discounts when purchased in bulk for client gifts, sales promotions, and premiums. Special editions, including books with corporate logos, customized covers, and letters from the company or CEO printed in the front matter, as well as excerpts of existing books, can also be created in large quantities for special needs.

    For details and discount information for both print and ebook formats, contact booksales@harvardbusiness.org, tel. 800–988-0886, or www.hbr.org/bulksales.

    Copyright 2016 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation

    All rights reserved

    Printed in the United States of America

    10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

    No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard .edu, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163.

    The web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the book’s publication but may be subject to change.

    Cataloging-in-Publication data is forthcoming

    ISBN: 978-1-63369-078-3

    eISBN: 978-1-63369-079-0

    Preview

    You’ve been putting off a difficult conversation. Maybe you feel wronged by someone or misunderstood. You may be caught in a clash of personalities or have competing goals with a colleague. Perhaps you have to deliver bad news, and you dread the person’s reaction. Whatever your situation, you need to address an issue to keep moving forward. This book will help you develop the skills you need to turn a difficult conversation into a productive dialogue, including:

    • Understanding what makes some conversations difficult

    • Discovering what’s at the heart of the challenge you’re facing

    • Identifying and managing the emotions involved

    • Seeing the bigger picture to expand possible solutions

    • Framing the issue in a way your counterpart can relate to

    • Listening actively and responding with empathy

    • Staying flexible and managing the unexpected

    • Finding areas of agreement

    • Building on your new skills so you’ll be ready for the next tough conversation

    Contents

    What Makes a Conversation Difficult?

    Conflicting interests

    Different personal styles

    Lack of trust

    Different views of the facts

    Strong emotions

    Think It Through

    Should you act?

    When you decide to have a difficult conversation

    Prepare for the Difficult Conversation

    Assess the facts—and your assumptions

    Address the emotions

    Acknowledge that you’re part of the problem

    Identify a range of positive outcomes

    Develop a strategy, not a script

    Conduct the Conversation

    Acknowledge the other person

    Frame the problem

    Ask questions and listen

    Look for common ground

    Adapt and rebalance

    Establish commitments

    Follow Through

    How did you do?

    Jot down your impressions

    Follow up in writing

    Keep your commitments

    Become a Better Communicator

    Reflect before you speak

    Connect with others

    Before you talk, listen

    Make your words count

    Establish a feedback loop

    Address problems head-on

    Learn More

    Sources

    Index

    Difficult Conversations

    What Makes a Conversation Difficult?

    What Makes a Conversation Difficult?

    You know the feeling: that knot in the pit of your stomach; the fog that descends on your mind. You’re avoiding a difficult conversation. Maybe you fear the public confrontation if you ask

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1