Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most
by Bruce Patton, Douglas Stone, Roger Fisher, Sheila Heen
Book Summary Information
Author: Bruce Patton, Douglas Stone, Roger Fisher, Sheila HeenEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2000-04
ISBN: 014028852X
Number of pages: 250
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780140288520
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
Book Reviews of Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most
Book Review: Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most
Summary: 4 Stars
The book was recommended to me by one of the lawyers in our firm who is an attorney and is an Arbitrator for several organizations. He stated that even after going through many years of formal training to be an Arbitrator and Medicator that he learned more from this book than all of his formal college training. In reading the book and being a Mediator for our County, I agree.
Summary of Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most
Members of the Harvard Negotiation Project--which brought you the mega-bestseller Getting to YES--show you how to handle your most difficult conversations with confidence and skill.Whether you're dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with your spouse about money or child-rearing, negotiating with a difficult client, or simply saying "no," or "I'm sorry," or "I love you," we attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day. Based on fifteen years of research at the Harvard Negotiation Project, Difficult Conversations walks you through a step-by-step proven approach to having your toughest conversations with less stress and more success. You will learn:
how to start the conversation without defensiveness
why what is not said is as important as what is
ways of keeping and regaining your balance in the face of attacks and accusations
how to decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation
Filled with examples from everyday life, Difficult Conversations will help you on the job, at home, or out in the world. It is a book you will turn to again and again for advice, practical skills, and reassurance.
"Does this book deliver on [its] promise of an effective way through sticky situations, whether 'with your baby sitter or your biggest client'? It does."-- The New York Times
"These talented communicators blend a daunting array of disciplines into highly readable and practical advice."-- Booklist
"Brilliant. . . . I've already re-read most of it. I'm using it. What more could a reader ask?"-- Tom Peters
"Emotional Intelligence applied to life's tough moments."-- Daniel Goleman
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
General Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in General Books
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul: Stories About Pets as Teachers, Healers, Heroes and FriendsVermilion; Published: 1999-02-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.92
Price in other shops:
Second Sightby Judith Orloff
Warner Book Inc; Published: 1996-01-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $35.00
Hope and Help for Your Nervesby Clair Weekes
Bantam; Published: 1983-05-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.00
THE BLUE DAY BOOK A LESSON IN CHEERING YOURSELF UPby Bradley Trevor Greive
Andrews and Mcmeel; Published: 2001; Hardcover; Book
Positive Energy: 10 Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress and Fear into Vibrance, Strength, and Love (Random House Large Print (Cloth/ Paper))by Judith Orloff
Random House Large Print; Published: 2004-04-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $190.46
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IIby Jack ed Canfield
Health Communications; Published: 1998-01-01; Paperback; Book
Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Griefby Martha W. Hickman
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 1999-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.63
Price in other shops:
HOW TO SURVIVE THE LOSS OF A LOVEby Melba Colgrove
Bantam; Published: 1984-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $29.60
Final Gifts: Understanding and Helping the Dyingby Patricia Kelley, Maggie Callanan, Maggie Callaghan
Hodder & Stoughton Religious; Published: 1994-07-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $122.59
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul : 101 Stories of Life, Love and Learning (AUDIO CASSETTE)by Jack Canfield
Health Communications; Published: 1997-05; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People 2nd Editionby G. Richard Shell
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2006-05-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.22
Price in other shops:
Business Communication (Harvard Business Essentials)Harvard Business Press; Published: 2003-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.52
Price in other shops:
E-Mail: A Write It Well Guide--How to Write and Manage E-Mail in the Workplaceby Janis Fisher Chan
Write It Well; Published: 2008-01-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.92
Price in other shops:
Business Writing: What Works, What Won'tby Wilma Davidson
St. Martin's Griffin; Published: 2001-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are Highby Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Stephen R. Covey
McGraw-Hill; Published: 2002-06-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.65
Price in other shops:
Crucial Confrontations: Tools for talking about broken promises, violated expectations, and bad behaviorby Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
McGraw-Hill; Published: 2004-08-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.69
Price in other shops:
Getting Past Noby William Ury
Bantam; Published: 1993-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.25
Price in other shops:
Decision Analysis, Game Theory, and Information (University Casebook Series)by Louis Kaplow, Steven Shavell
Foundation Press; Published: 2004-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.93
Price in other shops:
Beyond Winning: Negotiating to Create Value in Deals and Disputesby Robert H. Mnookin, Scott R. Peppet, Andrew S. Tulumello
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press; Published: 2004-04-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.97
Price in other shops:
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving Inby Roger Fisher, William L. Ury
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1991-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops: