As Leadership Coaches, our role and responsibility IS to listen. Over the last several months, we are listening as you learn with our TC&A tools and resources, team building opportunities and topical seminars. Recently, we have found, Crucial Conversations to be at the top of your focus within the Leadership Coaching. And, we are here to further support you with our TC&A weekly newsletter!

Crucial Conversations are defined as extremely important conversations that will promote further understanding and improve relationships. Also, the book “Crucial Conversations – Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High” defines them when… “opinions vary, the stakes are high and emotions run strong.” We’ve all experienced them. You may want to think about the last time you had a crucial conversation. What was the outcome? Were you satisfied with your approach and responses within the crucial conversation?

Here are three options when realizing a Crucial Conversation is unfolding:

1. You can avoid them

- you may change the subject or avoid the person

2. You can face them and handle them poorly

- you may go into blame mode and say things you cannot take back

3. You can face them and handle them well

- you may listen, gather more information, share more of your portion of the story for a better understanding of the situation or problem

Crucial Conversations language may be new to you. It’s probable you understand being frustrated, triggered or even angered by what someone has said, not even realizing you’ve entered into a crucial conversation.

You have the opportunity to learn the tools needed to communicate in any crucial conversation.

Through raising your own self-awareness, self-knowledge and paying greater attention to your inner gut and energy levels, you can support yourself when entering into a crucial conversation. The desired outcome is to create dialogue that is meaningful, successful and impactful, in order to stay in relationship within your personal relationships and professional relationships. (It’s possible, and we are practicing the tools and resources, too!)