vaultcareers:

7 Tips for Mastering Crucial Conversations

Striking up a conversation with people can be hard, so a tough conversation that needs to be had – the kind where emotions run high and opinions greatly vary - can be downright scary.  However, those who master the art of a difficult conversation are the ones who advance the furthest in their career.  Whether it’s the difficult decision to announce budget cuts or to simply ask for a raise you know you deserve, those who choose to change the subject or avoid the conversation all together are the ones whose careers stall. 

That’s the thought behind Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High…

The authors also offer seven effective steps to mastering a crucial conversation:

1.  Start with Heart – What is the desired result from this conversation?  What exactly is at stake?  

2.  Learn to Look – Be on the lookout for a lack of mutual purpose.  Continuously ask yourself whether you are leading the conversation with dialogue or defensiveness.

3.  Make it Safe – When you notice that you and others have moved away from dialogue, do something to make it more comfortable.  

4.  Master your Story – Retrace your path to find out what facts are behind the story you’re telling.  

5.  State your Path – Share your facts and conclusions in a way that will make the other party feel safe telling their story, too.    

6.  Explore Others’ Path – A dialogue allows you to actively inquire about the other party’s views.  

7.  Move to Action – Come to a consensus about what will happen, document who does what by when.

Check out Crucial Conversations here.   

—Jon Minners, Vault.com