The document provides guidance on how to have difficult yet successful conversations by focusing on understanding different perspectives, acknowledging feelings, and finding cooperative solutions rather than being adversarial. It discusses how assumptions, fear, and secondary gains can make conversations more difficult and provides exercises to practice skills like active listening, reframing issues, and separating people from problems. The overall goal is to have outcomes that move the discussion forward by addressing issues constructively.

1. Making Difficult Conversations Easier

2. “ Success Covers a Multitude of Blunders.” – George Bernard Shaw

6. Please remember, we’re only human. It is impossible not to make mistakes that may offend others. And, if we are very diligent, we can always manage to be offended.

13. Exercise #1: Your Most Difficult Three?

14. Your Most Difficult Three... Do You See a Theme?

16. Exercise #2: Aaaggghhh!!! I’m Not. But, if I were, where would I be difficult to talk to? I Don’t. But if I did, where do I get a secondary gain from being difficult?

17. Part II - The Basics: Better Interpersonal Skills Make for Easier Conversations

21. Exercise #3: First, Let’s Have an Easy Conversation

22. Exercise #4: Now, Let’s Have an Easy Meaningful Conversation: an Exercise of Interpretation, Insight, and Analysis

23. Part III Turning Conflict into Cooperation

24. Everyone hits the target they aim at, dead center – every time. Unfortunately, a lot of us are aiming too low – or else we're simply shooting at the wrong target.

27. In a sense we can learn everything we need to know about resolving a problem from a sign we see at any mall in the country...

28. X You are here

37. Exercise #6 Master the Zen of “No”

38. Separate the People From the Problem

42. Part IV Face to Face Walking the Walk & Talking the Talk

46. Making a Difficult Conversation Successful Is the Sum of All Its Parts. Even When Done Correctly It Is Still Difficult.