读者广泛承认：纽约时报畅销书；美国亚马逊排行前列的沟通类畅销书籍
扎实的作者团队：作者团队中的成员几乎都有在世界知名企业指导培训和管理工作的经验，并有几位在斯坦福大学完成了心理学博士研究工作。他们的工作还涉及各种行为调查研究的项目。
精准的写作：着力描写人生关键时刻的沟通，发挥沟通技巧的效用。
【内容简介】
本书旨在帮助读者掌握在关键时刻处理高风险对话的技巧，包括认清自己真正想要达到的目标，留意和确保对话的安全氛围，掌握彼此行为背后的缘由，把建议化为行动，等等；同时辅以丰富的对话情境和轻松幽默的小故事，帮助读者以*迅速的方式掌握这些技巧。
【作者简介】
克里·帕特森（Kerry Patterson）著有多部获奖培训作品，并且负责过多个长期调查行为变化的研究项目。2004 年，克里获得杨百翰大学万豪管理学院迪尔奖，以表彰他在组织行为领域的杰出贡献。克里在斯坦福大学完成了博士研究工作。
约瑟夫·格伦尼（Joseph Grenny）是一位知名的主题演讲师，也是一位在企业实施重大改革举措方面从业30 年的资深顾问。此外，他还是非盈利组织Unitus 实验室的共同创始人，该组织致力于帮助世界贫困人口实现经济自立。
罗恩·麦克米伦（Ron McMillan）是一位广受欢迎的演讲师兼企业咨询顾问。他是柯维领导力研究中心的创立者之一，曾担任该中心的研发副总裁。罗恩和众多企业领导者合作过，其中既包括一线管理者也包括财富500 强企业的高管们。
阿尔·斯威茨勒（Al Switzler）是一位知名的企业咨询顾问兼演讲师，为财富500 强中数十家企业的领导者指导过培训和管理方面的举措。此外，阿尔也在密歇根大学的教师发展中心任职。
【媒体评论】
本书的读者勇敢而巧妙地运用书中的理念去应对人生中的关键时刻：一位女士读过此书后与疏远的父亲重归于好；一位护士勇敢地与充满防卫性的医生展开关键对话，从而拯救了被误诊的病人；一位男士机智地消除了自己和兄弟姐妹因父亲的遗嘱而产生的龃龉；一位勇猛的读者甚至认为针对关键对话的练习使自己在巴西遭遇劫车事件时得以获救。像这样的故事有两百万之多，你可以想象我们从读者那里获得的价值感和满足感，而你也会是其中之一。
——帕特森，格伦尼，麦克米伦，斯威茨勒（本书作者）
《关键对话》让我们把注意力转向了人生中的关键时刻，即那些塑造了我们的生活、关系和世界的时刻。本书不愧是对我们时代的思想领导力所做的重要贡献之一。
—史蒂芬·柯维，《高效能人士的七个习惯》作者
你生活的质量来源于你的对话和交谈的质量。如何立刻提升自己的关键对话技能？答案就在这本书中。
—马克·维克托·汉森
《纽约时报》畅销书榜首《心灵鸡汤》丛书合著
【目录】
CHAPTER 1 What’s a Crucial Conversation? And Who Cares?
第1 章 什么是关键对话？谁关心？
CHAPTER 2 Mastering Crucial Conversations: The Power of Dialogue
第2 章 掌握关键对话：对话的力量
CHAPTER 3 Start with Heart: How to Stay Focused on What You Really Want
第3 章 从心开始：如何专注于你真正想要的
CHAPTER 4 Learn to Look: How to Notice When Safety Is at Risk
第4 章 学会看：如何注意到对话的安全氛围处于风险之中？
CHAPTER 5 Make It Safe: How to Make It Safe to Talk about Almost Anything
第5 章 确保安全氛围：如何确保可以安全地谈论几乎任何事
CHAPTER 6 Master My Stories: How to Stay in Dialogue When You’re Angry, Scared, or Hurt
第6 章 掌控我的故事：如何在你生气、害怕或伤心时继续对话
CHAPTER 7 STATE My Path: How to Speak Persuasively, Not Abrasively
第7 章 STATE 我的行为的缘由：如何有说服力地而非粗暴地说话
CHAPTER 8 Explore Others’ Paths: How to Listen When Others Blow Up or Clam Up
第8 章 探索他人行为的缘由：当他人大发脾气或保持缄默时如何倾听
CHAPTER 9 Move to Action: How to Turn Crucial Conversations into Action and Results
第9 章 走向行动：如何把关键对话化为行动与结果
CHAPTER 10 Yeah, But: Advice for Tough Cases
第10 章 “对，但是”：处理棘手情况的建议
CHAPTER 11 Putting It All Together: Tools for Preparing and Learning
第11 章 整合起来：准备与学习关键对话的方法
Afterword: What I’ve Learned About Crucial Conversations in the Past Ten Years
后记：我在过去十年中就关键对话学到了什么
【免费在线读】
1
What’s a Crucial Conversation?
And Who Cares?
The single biggest problem in communication is
the illusion that it has taken place.
—GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
When people first hear the term “crucial conversation,” many conjure up images of presidents, emperors, and prime ministers seated around a massive table while they debate the future. Although it’s true that such discussions have a wide-sweeping impact, they’re not the kind we have in mind. The crucial conversations we’re referring to are interactions that happen to everyone. They’re the day-to-day conversations that affect your life.
Now, what makes one of your conversations crucial as opposed to plain vanilla? First, opinions vary. For example, you’re talking with your boss about a possible promotion. She thinks you’re not ready; you think you are. Second, stakes are high. You’re in a meeting with four coworkers and you’re trying to pick a new marketing strategy. You’ve got to do something different or your company isn’t going to hit its annual goals. Third, emotions run strong. You’re in the middle of a casual discussion with your spouse and he or she brings up an “ugly incident” that took place at yesterday’s neighborhood block party. Apparently not only did you flirt with someone at the party, but according to your spouse, “You were practically making out.” You don’t remember flirting. You simply remember being polite and friendly. Your spouse walks off in a huff.
And speaking of the block party, at one point you’re making small talk with your somewhat crotchety and always colorful neighbor about his shrinking kidneys when he says, “Speaking of the new fence you’re building . . .” From that moment on you end up in a heated debate over placing the new fence—three inches one way or the other. Three inches! He finishes by threatening you with a lawsuit, and you punctuate your points by mentioning that he’s not completely aware of the difference between his hind part and his elbow. Emotions run really strong.
What makes each of these conversations crucial—and not simply challenging, frustrating, frightening, or annoying—is that the results could have a huge impact on the quality of your life. In each case, some element of your daily routine could be forever altered for better or worse. Clearly a promotion could make a big difference. Your company’s success affects you and everyone you work with. Your relationship with your spouse influences every aspect of your life. Even something as trivial as a debate over a property line affects how you get along with your neighbor.
Despite the importance of crucial conversations, we often back away from them because we fear we’ll make matters worse. We’ve become masters at avoiding tough conversations. Coworkers send e-mail to each other when they should walk down the hall and talk turkey. Bosses leave voice mail in lieu of meeting with their direct reports. Family members change the subject when an issue gets too risky. We (the authors) have a friend who learned through a voice-mail message that his wife was divorcing him. We use all kinds of tactics to dodge touchy issues.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. If you know how to handle crucial conversations, you can effectively hold tough conversations about virtually any topic.
Crucial Conversation (kro–o – shel kän´vu? r sa´ shen) n
A discussion between two or more people where (1) stakes are high, (2) opinions vary, and (3) emotions run strong.
