The Big Idea
The term ‘crucial conversation’ evokes images of great statesmen or men of consequence meeting and discussing issues that will shape the world. That sort of interaction is not the kind the authors of this book have in mind; they are concerned with the sort of interactions that happen to everyone.

Crucial conversations are defined as discussions between two people where stakes are high, opinions vary and emotions run strong. These are day-to-day occurrences that affect everyone’s lives ? in many cases, these are pivotal conversations whose results may be extremely significant. An element of one’s daily routine could be forever altered, for better or for worse. Plus by dealing with even one conversation in a particular way, you determine a pattern of behavior that shows up in all subsequent conversations.

This book, then, is the authors’ stab at teaching others how to handle ? and even master ? crucial conversations, and by doing so change their lives.

About the Author
Kerry Patterson - Kerry Patterson is the Chief Development Officer and Cofounder of VitalSmarts, a global leader in organizational performance and leadership. Kerry began his research into the challenges of developing and m a i n t a i n i n g h e a l t h y organizations during his doctoral work at Stanford University. He taught at Brigham Young Universitys Marriott School of Management and then cofounded Interact Performance Systems. Kerry has coauthored The Balancing Act: Mastering the Competing Demands of Leadership and two New York Times bestsellers, Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High and Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations, and Bad Behavior. Kerry has won many awards and was a 2004 finalist in t h e E r n s t a n d Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.