21 Difficult Conversations: Tools To Navigate Your Most Important Talk And Master Exactly What to Say

What conversations do you find difficult?

The answer might be different for each of us, but let’s face it. We've all experienced difficult conversations.

And what is a difficult conversation?

If the conversation is emotional, high stakes, or challenging for at least one of the people involved, then it is difficult.

Some are planned, and we dread the path, while some are spontaneous and catch us by surprise. You might be the initiator of a difficult conversation or the receiver.

In her book, Dr. Latha Vijaybaskar helps you navigate 21 such difficult conversations. From saying a no, giving feedback, delivering bad news, turning debates into dialogues, to going back to old, hurtful incidents and dealing with irrational and sometimes insensitive talk, this book is filled with life-affirming primers. The most exciting part of the book is the “‘exactly what to say” section, weaving together the conceptual and the anecdotal with the practical and commonsensical.

You’ll learn to

1. Live fully and not skirt around the perimeter of relationships.
2. Talk about your differences and not avoid relationships because of a few small errors.
3. Say no and not feel bad, say sorry and smile, speak from the heart and be
respected.
4. Connect with customers, colleagues, and friends at a far deeper level.

Let’s change the conversation!

Reviews

This book is a very useful and pragmatic guide for people who often find it difficult to handle inter-personal communications in corporate set-ups or even in normal life. The 21 conversations cited in the book are what the author calls "difficult conversations", which could be critical to one's career but many of us often find ourselves at a loss to handle them.

The book identifies 21 typical conversations covering a wide array of situations ranging from how to make a small talk to ask for a raise on the job. The author provides practical guidelines on what usually goes wrong with them and how to go about the same. These are embellished with small stories, examples and samples of conversations that not only make the book very readable but also make it eminently relevant to people as well.

I recommend this book to all the people who aspire to improve their communication skills and realize their objectives in life.

Pawan Verma