Recently, SMUD’s leadership (Sacramento’s community-owned electric service) began working with the approaches presented in this book. Organizations are recognizing that influence through understanding and honesty while preserving dignity of everyone involved is not only possible in business, it’s essential to sustained success.

When stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation badly and suffer the consequences; or read discover how to communicate best when it matters most. We recommend you read this book to learn about the tools to step up to life’s most difficult and important conversations, say what’s on your mind, and achieve the positive resolutions you want. You’ll learn how to:

• Prepare for high-impact situations with a six-minute mastery technique
• Make it safe to talk about almost anything
• Be persuasive, not abrasive
• Keep listening when others blow up or clam up
• Turn crucial conversations into the action and results you want

When we work with organization, we suggest tools like this along with our own Life Mechanics collaboration and engagement exercises and programs. If you’d like to learn more about how we design leadership and culture-building plans for your organization, please connect with us.