Book Review: Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when Stakes Are High

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Management Skills, those skills which allow one to manage either their personal time, plans, and goals, or professionally manage a group of people, deadline, or project. Meryl Runion is the Official Guide to Management Skills.nCrucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when Stakes Are High, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Al Switzler, Ron McMillan, and Joseph Grenny, is a valuable resource for people interested in Management Skills, and it is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.nnFrom AudioFilenMainly about resolving conflicts and influencing people, this useful guide covers every conceivable aspect of talking with others. People hear facts and stories and turn them into shared knowledge when they're not attacked or overpowered--in other words, when they feel safe. No mushy mental health lesson, the program does a stellar job of explaining many types of communication errors and describing the best ways to achieve mutual purpose. The authors have exceptional ideas about moving toward healthy solutions in a variety of business and personal realms. Anna Fields gives a perfect reading--emotionally bright but still allowing the lesson to retain its practical, straight-talking nature. T.W. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition. nnBook DescriptionnnThe New York Times Bestseller! nnLearn how to keep your cool and get the results you want when emotions flare.nnWhen stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation badly and suffer the consequences; or read Crucial Conversations and discover how to communicate best when it matters most. Crucial Conversations gives you the tools you need to step up to life's most difficult and important conversations, say what's on your mind, and achieve the positive resolutions you want. You'll learn how to:nn-Prepare for high-impact situations with a six-minute mastery technique n-Make it safe to talk about almost anything n-Be persuasive, not abrasive n-Keep listening when others blow up or clam up n-Turn crucial conversations into the action and results you want nnWhether they take place at work or at home, with your neighbors or your spouse, crucial conversations can have a profound impact on your career, your happiness, and your future. With the skills you learn in this book, you'll never have to worry about the outcome of a crucial conversation again.nnAbout the AuthorsnKerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler are top international corporate consultants and cofounders of Vitality Alliance, Inc., and VitalSmarts. Together they have developed dozens of corporate training programs for dozens of Fortune 500 companies.