Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson et. al.

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Stefan

Founder at The Product Insider

Senior Product Manager at Google, founder at The Product Insider. Curious builder.

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Did you ever experience this moment where all after a sudden, in a quiet meeting which was supposed to be ‘just a quick update’, things went somewhat in a totally different direction? At moments notice, a disruptive question targeting a sensitive aspect of a specific topic is causing the stakes to raise into new heights? The dynamic shifts and you find yourself in the middle of what Patterson and co call ‘a crucial conversation’. Or, less dramatic, the meeting scheduled with your Senior VP Tomorrow where you know the perception which will form during the meeting will stick with you and your work forever. You will need at least 6-12 months to recover from a undesired outcome, if you get that chance.

As SPMs we have to deal with these meetings, often at very short notice. It is important to understand the dynamics of a crucial conversation, and how to handle them effectively. We are pretty effective handling high stakes, as the level of responsibility around day-to-day decisions is pretty high. However, add opposing opinions and strong emotions and you find yourself up for a new challenge.

In their book the authors define crucial conversations, how they operate, how they come into life, and how to effectively address them through proactive behavior. The book has given me a new level of confidence in these situations, and helped me change the outcome of many of them to be more productive in the long run.

Learn more about the work of these accomplished authors on their website, or get the book directly at Amazon: Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition