How can you be part of the solution when it comes to high stakes conversations inside your own home and on a national level? By learning how to hold Crucial Conversations.
What is a crucial conversation? Being 100% honest with your viewpoint and 100% respectful to all involved while searching for answers to this question: What do I want for myself, the other person, and the relationship/group/nation?
Most of us never learned how to have genuine conversations that move us towards solutions that are in the greatest good of all involved. So instead of having productive conversations, we end up avoiding them altogether or botching them completely. There is a 3rd option. Learning how to hold skillful conversations that actually move relationships, workplaces, groups, and nations forward.
To do that we have to ask ourselves - what truly is our motive? Actions are generated from 4 different motive:
Winning - I have to prove that I am right and you are wrong which leads to me picking a fight and defending my perspective. No progress is made from this place - especially when people become so identified with their own viewpoint that to question their view feels like questions them as a person.
Punishing - my actions are actually intended to "harm" the other person. This may take the form of behind the scenes sabotaging what that person/group is working towards or it can be in the form of extreme violence and show of forcing others to believe how you want them to. (Think - all wars!)
Silence - Keeping the Peace - I'll just keep my mouth shut instead of addressing the true issue that I see. This contributes to the problem. A person is afraid to express their view or opinion because of what someone else will do or say it causes an unsafe situation. If this is you I urge you to learn how to share your voice while having 100% respect for others because your voice IS needed!
OR searching for genuinely shared outcome that is best for allI encourage you to ask yourself these questions:
What do I really want for myself? (as it relates to this issue)
What do I really want for others? (as it relates to this issue)
What do I really want for the relationship?
How would I behave if I really wanted these results?
Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler
Non-Violent Communication by Marchall Rosenberg PhD
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Find me...Vicki Haddock & Transcending Limits!