Crucial Conversations
by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson and others
How to talk when stakes are high, opinions differ and emotions run strong. The tools, start with heart, make it safe, state your path, explore others' paths, are teachable and the examples are realistic. It is a corporate book in style, but the conversations it prepares you for happen at home as often as at work.
Read it if…
you avoid hard conversations until they explode, or you have them and they go badly.
Skip it if…
you want depth on one relationship type; this is a general method.
Three things you will actually use
- Watch for silence or violence; restore safety first.
- Separate facts from the story you told yourself.
- Agree on who does what by when.
Do this first
Before the next hard talk, write what you actually want for you, for them and for the relationship.
Our verdict
A dependable toolkit for the conversations that matter; worth rereading before each one.
Compare with other Leadership books
Give and Take
Adam Grant · Leadership
Well-researched and encouraging; makes a strong case that kindness compounds.
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The New One Minute Manager
Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson · Leadership
A brisk primer; useful at the start, forgettable afterward.
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Radical Candor
Kim Scott · Leadership
A useful, well-named framework; the book is longer than the idea needs.
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