Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Third Edition, 3rd Edition

I have known a thousand scamps; but I never met one who considered himself so. Self-knowledge isn’t so common.

—OUIDA

6

LEARN TO LOOK

How to Notice When Safety Is at Risk

Let’s start this chapter by visiting a failed Crucial Conversation. You and your team have been working hard on a proposal for a company acquisition. Your manager is now taking the proposal to the steering committee. He has invited you to “sit in on” the meeting. He has made it clear that your role here is to listen and observe. You’re excited for a couple of reasons. First, you believe in your team’s recommendation and want to see how the steering committee responds. Second, this is the first time you’ll see the organization’s leadership team in action. It’s exhilarating ...