At some stage or other we all have to deal with difficult conversations. It may be to express dissatisfaction with our own treatment or give feedback on someone's poor performance. You may have to make clear a tough decision or deny a request. Saying 'no' is not easy. "The Tackling Difficult Conversations Pocketbook" will help build your confidence, reduce your anxiety and equip you with the skills to steer emotionally-fuelled conversations towards a successful outcome. It helps you learn how to communicate with authority, clarity and persuasiveness, and - through active listening, mirroring body language and other techniques - how to empathize with the other person and how to interpret what they are saying, feeling and thinking. Being clear about the outcome you desire and recognising your own responses to conflict (and managing these constructively) will be crucial to your preparations. Timing, location and seating arrangements are factors too, as this pocketbook explains.
