How to discuss tough subjects without running them off the rails. Also a book about how to listen and how to plan conversations. Not great. Works in scripted situations, but the sample conversations sound manipulative.
True discussion is a search for the answer. If you go into a meeting with the answer set in your mind and are looking for a way to deliver the message, then you are not really conversing. This is the dynamic in a lot of management situations. You are not going into the meeting to discuss whether or not a certain clause in a contract applies, or whether or not an employee is going to be laid off. You've made that decision, and need to deliver the message in a respectful and humane, yet clear and unambiguous manner.
There are other situations, say where someone has manifested unhappiness or hostility, where a "learning conversation" would probably be helpful. Sometimes anger and unhappiness are justified, and it would be good to learn their causes. It's too easy to assume that the angry person is bad at their job or a negative influence in the workplace. Complaint is a necessary part of every work environment.
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