Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

7

Outspoken by whom?

-DOROTHY PARKBR

WHEN TOLD THAT SHE WAS WRY OUTSPOKEN

STATE My Path

How to Speak Persuasivel}/t

Not Abrasively

So far we've gone to great pains to prepare ourselves for crucial
conversations. Here's what we've learned. Our hearts need to be
in the right place. We need to pay close attention to crucial
conversations-particularly when people start feeling unsafe.
And heaven forbid that we should tell ourselves clever and
unhelpful stories.
So let's say that we are well prepared. We're ready to open our
mouths and start sharing our pool of meaning. That's right,
we're actually going to talk. Now what?
Most of the time we walk into a discussion and slide into
autopilot. "Hi, how are the kids? What's going on at work?"
What could be easier than talking? We know thousands of words