We have conversations every day but not all of them are important. Some are for plain fun while others are for business. Some of these seemingly ordinary conversations however turn to crucial conversations. A misread of the situation can turn a healthy relationship into one filled with suspicion. Knowing how to tackle these conversations is an art that needs developing, a realisation I have made only recently.
Crucial Conversations is the name of a famous book written by researchers who have put in more than a quarter of a century working in the top companies in America. In each place they found some gems who were able to get anything done by almost anyone. Be it the CEO or a grunt, they were able to get their way with all of them. What is it that these individuals had that others lacked? This is the entire focus of the book.
Although I haven’t been able to plough through this book in its entirety yet. I have reached a significant milestone in the book. A point that has been an aha moment for me. In the book the authors mention the disabling of the brain function as emotions begin to flood our brain. Our brains have not been wired to tackle modern day challenges like disagreements through verbal exchange but rather by combat. This ancient genetic makeup makes it nearly impossible for most people who haven’t trained themselves otherwise to react poorly in a high stress situation. It is no wonder that people think back at a situation and say “What was I thinking?”.
My reasons for not completing the book are that this is the kind of book that requires execution and execution of such tasks is going to take time. I’d rather take twenty four months to solve the this problem in my life by taking one element at a time every two months and incorporating it in my life.
This book was recommended to me by a man who has schooled himself in the art of crucial conversations over two decades and I thought if a man so successful is recommending it, it must be something good and indeed it is.