#50 - Crucial Conversations

For my first book outside my safety zone I read Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joesph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. I was introduced to this book by a 90 minute conference on this subject, which I felt only grazed the surface. Using this book, I learned more about how I tend to argue and confront people when the topic turns to rough material. This comes up in my professional life - both with patients and staff - and at home. The book teaches you to try to move a conversation out of the realm of silence (withdrawing, giving in and regretting it, etc) and violence (attacking the other person, snide remarks, etc.) and instead toward a pool of shared meaning where you can truly dialogue in a way that moves the conversation forward. I find myself using these techniques already, and I hope to incorporate more in the future.