8

Defusing an Emotionally Charged Conversation with a Colleague

By Ron Friedman

Work with anyone long enough and you’re bound to encounter a difference of opinion. Most of the time, these disagreements are resolved amicably. But if you’re like most people, every now and then you find yourself immersed in a conversation so emotionally charged it seems to have nothing to do with the issues you’re supposedly discussing.

What do you do when a conversation is spiraling out of control? When you’ve tried all the patient listening you can muster, and the other person still won’t budge? How do you get the conversation back on track?

Anthony Suchman has invested a good portion of his career in searching for an answer. A charming physician with a profound ...

Get People Skills for a Virtual World Collection (6 Books) (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series) now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.