Whenever you’re not getting the results you want, it’s likely an important conversation either hasn’t happened or hasn’t been handled well. In fact, both individual and organizational success is largely determined by how quickly, directly, and effectively we speak up when it matters most. At the heart of healthy and high-performance organizations are people willing and able to hold Crucial Conversations.
A Crucial Conversation is a discussion between two or more people where the stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. When conversations turn crucial, people tend to follow one of two ineffective paths: they either speak directly and abrasively to get the results they want but harm relationships or they remain silent with the hope of preserving relationships only to sacrifice results.
But there’s a better way. Crucial Conversations gives people the skills to step into disagreement - rather than over or around it - and turn disagreement into dialogue for improved relationships and results.
Backed by 30 years of social science, Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue represents the standard in effective communication and the marker of high-performance individuals & organizations. The course teaches 9 powerful skills for working through disagreement to achieve better results.
Karl joined the Extension Foundation team in 2020 after 23 years in the U.S. Air Force. As the leadership and team development lead, his job is to influence the 32 thousand Cooperative Extension professionals to create meaningful experiences for the people of our nation. He does this through individual and team coaching, grant support, and membership offerings. Above all, he is a proud spouse and father of two amazing humans!
