How to Handle Ten of the Toughest Conversations

Sometimes, we can allow our emotions to get the best of us in a conversation.  So, how should you handle the toughest conversations?

We’ve all experienced moments when we feel at a loss for words. Your boss criticizes your work. A customer demands a discount. Your presentation gets off on the wrong foot and tempers flare. Every time, you’re left thinking, I wish I had been able to think of just the right thing to say to that person! What should I have said?Andrew Sobel says that no interaction, regardless of how tough, is ever completely lost. He suggests transforming tough conversations—and the relationships they affect—by asking a few power questions.

“In these situations, when there’s a lot on the line, it’s not all about finding the right thing to say—it’s about asking the right questions,” says Sobel, coauthor along with Jerold Panas of Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others. “By posing just one or two thoughtful questions, you can turn even the most difficult conversation around, shift the focus back to the other person, and give yourself invaluable breathing room to gather your thoughts.”

Read on for a look at ten of the toughest, most awkward conversations you’ll ever have, and the powerful questions that will help manage them with ease. Continue Reading