I recently read Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, et. al. as part of my 2010 Free MBA Reading Challenge. The book makes a strong presentation of techniques for dealing with difficult conversations and even conflicts. It is very acronym heavy. And, while it did at times seem like everything related to an acronym, I did find some of them useful. The book does wax a little fluffy at times and this could be in part due to the emotionally charged nature of the material. However, it does do an adequate job of conveying the idea that, to put a spin on an old adage, “to the communicator go the spoils”.
The authors provide many real life examples in Crucial Conversations. However, some of the advice seems to be rather common sense. The authors spend 256 pages examining topics that probably could have been communicated more concisely.
Ultimately, it is a worthwhile read but not one I would consider a must read.
