Difficult Conversations at Work
The Talks You’re Avoiding and How to Have Them WellBy Ezra Whitcomb
Length10h 30m
About this audiobook
Difficult Conversations at Work is a practical communication guide for professionals, managers, and leaders who want to handle challenging workplace discussions with confidence and professionalism.
Drawing on years of executive coaching and corporate leadership experience, Ezra Whitcomb explores why difficult conversations are often delayed and how avoidance creates larger problems over time. From performance feedback and salary discussions to resignations and workplace conflict, the book provides a framework for addressing issues directly while preserving dignity and trust.
The book covers more than twenty common workplace situations, including giving feedback, receiving criticism, asking for a raise, managing underperformance, delivering bad news, reporting misconduct, and setting boundaries with colleagues and supervisors. Each chapter explains the psychology behind these conversations and offers practical strategies for navigating them effectively.
Readers will learn how to stay calm under pressure, prepare for emotionally charged discussions, communicate clearly, and focus on solutions rather than blame. The book also emphasizes active listening, accountability, and respect, helping professionals build stronger relationships even during difficult interactions.
Designed for both new managers and experienced leaders, this guide transforms workplace communication from a source of stress into a valuable leadership skill. Whether leading a team or managing upward, readers will gain the confidence to handle conversations that many people avoid.
Audiobook details
GenreBusiness and Economics, Self-Help
Length10 hrs 30 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
23Appendix B — Scripted Walkthrough: Asking for a Significant Raise
2Introduction — The Conversations You’re Paying Interest On
24Appendix C — Scripted Walkthrough: Pushing Back on a Misaligned Senior Decision
3Chapter 1 — The Conversations You’re Paying Interest On
25Appendix D — Scripted Walkthrough: Receiving Tough Feedback About Your Leadership
4Chapter 2 — The 24-Hour Rule
26Appendix E — Scripted Walkthrough: Resigning When the Relationship Is Complicated
5Chapter 3 — The Difference Between Feedback and Venting
27Appendix F — Sentences to Have on Your Tongue
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6Chapter 4 — Firing Someone With Dignity
28Appendix G — Scripted Walkthrough: Reporting a Senior Colleague’s Misconduct
7Chapter 6 — The Performance Review You Dread
29Appendix H — Scripted Walkthrough: Declining an Internal Opportunity Without Closing the Door
8Chapter 7 — Asking for a Raise
30Appendix I — Scripted Walkthrough: Confronting a Peer About a Pattern
9Chapter 8 — Asking for a Promotion
31Appendix J — Frequently Asked Questions From the Last Decade
10Chapter 10 — Negotiating a Counteroffer
32Appendix K — Scripted Walkthrough: A Performance Review Where the Rating Surprises
11Chapter 11 — Telling Your Boss They’re Making a Mistake
33Appendix L — Scripted Walkthrough: The Conversation About Hygiene, Style, or Personal Presentation
12Chapter 12 — The Conversation About Your Work That Hurt
34Appendix M — Scripted Walkthrough: The Conversation About a Personal Crisis at Work
13Chapter 14 — Reporting Harassment or Discrimination
35Appendix N — A Note on Practice Across Time
14Chapter 15 — The Resignation Conversation
36Appendix O — Scripted Walkthrough: Renegotiating a Project After Conditions Change
15Chapter 16 — Staying When You Said You’d Leave
37Appendix P — Scripted Walkthrough: The Conversation About Compensation Equity
16Chapter 17 — Delivering a Layoff That Isn’t Yours
38Appendix Q — Scripted Walkthrough: Telling a Trusted Colleague You Cannot Continue to Cover for Them
17Chapter 18 — Receiving Feedback Without Defending
39Appendix R — Scripted Walkthrough: The Conversation About Returning to the Office
18Chapter 19 — Apologizing in a Way That Lands
40Appendix S — Scripted Walkthrough: A Conversation You Wish You Did Not Have to Have
19Chapter 20 — The Conversation About Mental Health
41Appendix T — On the Particular Difficulty of the First Conversation
20Chapter 21 — Setting a Boundary With a Higher-Up
42Appendix U — Notes for Particular Roles
21Chapter 22 — When the Conversation Doesn’t Work
43Appendix V — Closing Notes from the Coaching Notebook
22Appendix A — Scripted Walkthrough: Firing a Long- Tenured Underperformer
44Appendix W — A Final Word on the Practice
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