“Tackling criticism in a resilient way requires ‘detaching yourself from what is being said,’ so you can ‘bypass’ any feelings of inadequacy and defensiveness, [Crucial Conversations coauthor Joseph] Grenny wrote. “That’s exactly what Cook said he’s learned how to do. ‘Talking heads critiquing — this kind of stuff kind of goes through me,’ he said. …

It’s natural to want to dodge the tough work of sharing bad news. After all, who wants to tell a team that their project was canceled or that several team members will be let go? Instead of putting the announcement off, blaming higher ups for the decision, or behaving in a disconnected way, you want …

“It’s no surprise that people struggle to focus. We’re bombarded with distractions, burdened by unrealistic expectations, and drowning under too many incoming requests. Our team at Crucial Learning polled 1,600 employees and managers to better understand the severity of our collective failure to focus. The data painted an even bleaker picture of our tenuous attention …

Gary Drenik: A lot has been written and discussed about the Great Resignation and how employees are changing jobs more than ever. What role has communication – or a lack thereof – played in this movement? Joseph Grenny: If you can’t communicate with your leaders and colleagues, you can’t develop the relationships that are necessary to …

A common challenge when implementing a coaching program is making sure that leaders have the necessary skills to be effective coaches, shares Justin Hale, master trainer and training designer at Crucial Learning. “When it comes to picking people in our organization that exemplifies the traits of an ideal coach, most times we’d all probably pick …

“You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that people are more hesitant to speak up at work now than they were a few years ago. I certainly wasn’t shocked when a study our firm conducted in late 2021 of more than 1,400 people confirmed this. After all, we are living in one of the most volatile social …

“Have you felt more afraid to speak your mind at work or at home lately? You’re not alone. A Crucial Learning survey of more than 1,300 people found that an incredible 9 out of 10 respondents have felt emotionally or physically unsafe to speak their mind more than once in the past 18 months.” Read …

Emily Gregory, coauthor of Crucial Conversations, spoke with Global News Radio in Ontario, Canada, about why more and more people are afraid to speak their minds. Listen to the full interview here.

Crucial Learning cofounder and New York Times bestselling author Joseph Grenny sat down with Greg McKeown for his What’s Essential podcast to discuss why talking about tough issues is important to maintaining healthy relationships. Click here to listen to Greg and Joseph’s conversation.