Handling difficult conversations comprises a key element for navigating life successfully, yet most of us have little training about how to accomplish this. We end up listening to mentors or pastors to refine our skillset. Is there any science or education that could lend insight to how to, at the very least, survive these conversations? This set of authors, who penned the famously successful book Crucial Conversations, submit this guide to aid individuals’ journeys.
They provide a set of tools with examples to enact them. Honestly, I didn’t find the tools particularly helpful and soon forgot them after reading them. The examples, however, allowed me to extrapolate from the principles to real-life events that intersect with my life. Because accountability conversations can occur at work or at home, their examples teach how to handle both settings. They not only illustrate their ideas but forecast common obstacles many encounter when first practicing the skill.
At times, this book can seem a bit formulaic: If you do such-and-such, some good result will happen. If only life were this simple! Unfortunately, oppressive systems and bigoted discrimination still occur that prevent people from acting reasonably. This book does not directly address those scenarios. It assumes rational actors on both sides. While I agree that most people I deal with fit into this camp, other personal experiences make me doubt that life always fits into this box.
Again, the authors focus on both work and home environments and thus hit a wide audience. Any adult with responsibilities can potentially benefit. This book aims to be a teacher and to move readers into unbiased teachers of handling accountability discussions. Thus, this book represents more of a class than a light read to peruse. Readers do require a bit of life experience and savviness to appreciate the scenarios posited.
The biggest benefit is that previously difficult conversations become a whole lot less intimidating. Complexity cannot be completely avoided, but the self-confidence required to handle those scenarios can increase. Crucial Accountability helps readers to think through how they might handle and even embrace those challenging situations better.
Crucial Accountability: Tools for Resolving Violated Expectations, Broken Commitments, and Bad Behavior
By Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan & Al Switzler
Narrated by Kerry Patterson
Copyright (c) 2021
McGraw-Hill Ascent Audio
ASIN B09B155GDK
Length: 6:14
Genre: Business, Management
www.amazon.com