Tips To Help You Master Difficult Conversations

In this Episode About Difficult Conversations

1. Sheila Heen, an expert in difficult conversations and feedback, discusses the importance of understanding emotions and underlying thoughts in communication.
2. Heen introduces three internal conversations: the “what happened” conversation, the emotional conversation, and the identity conversation, to navigate difficult interactions effectively.
3. The episode emphasizes shifting from blaming individuals to understanding contributions within a system, fostering a culture of learning from mistakes rather than assigning blame for organizational growth.

Here is a Glimpse of  Tips To Help You Master Difficult Conversations

In this podcast episode, host Jim Schleckser speaks with guest, Sheila Heen, who is an expert in difficult conversations and feedback. Heen co-founded the Triad Consulting Group and has extensive experience in negotiation, including at Harvard Law School. She discusses her journey into this field and the importance of understanding emotions in communication.

Heen emphasizes the need to go beyond surface conversations and delve into the underlying thoughts and feelings in difficult interactions. She introduces three internal conversations: the “what happened” conversation, focused on narratives about past, present, and future events; the emotional conversation, addressing how individuals deal with their feelings; and the identity conversation, concerning what the situation reflects about one’s self-image.

The discussion highlights the importance of shifting from blaming individuals to understanding contributions to problems within a system. Heen suggests focusing on learning from mistakes rather than assigning blame, fostering a culture where feedback is seen as an opportunity for growth. The episode underscores the significance of systems thinking in addressing organizational issues and promoting effective communication and accountability among team members.

Thank You To Our Guest

Sheila Heen helps people have difficult conversations.

She founded Triad Consulting Group with Doug Stone in 1999 to help leaders and individuals develop the human-centered skills necessary to work together. Triad offers workshops, keynotes, and digital learning in the areas of difficult conversations, negotiation, feedback, and unlearning silence.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Sheila Heen on LinkedIn
• Jim Schleckser on LinkedIn
• The CEO Project
• Great Ceos Are Lazy: How Exceptional Ceos Do More in Less Time by Jim Schleckser
• Beyond Reason

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by The CEO Project. The CEO Project is a business advisory group that brings high-caliber, accomplished CEOs together. Our team of skilled advisors is comprised of current and former CEOs who have run both public and private sector companies across multiple industries. With our experience and expertise, we guide hundreds of high-performing CEOs through a disciplined approach that resolves constraints and improves critical decisions. The CEO Project has helped high-performing, large enterprise CEOs with annual revenues ranging from $20M to over $2 billion to drive growth and achieve optimal outcomes. If you are an experienced CEO looking to grow your company, visit www.theCEOProject.com.