Business and Economics

Self-Help

Difficult Conversations at Work

The Talks You’re Avoiding and How to Have Them WellBy Ezra Whitcomb

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Length10h 20m

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.

Psychological Healing Survival Identity Journey

Audiobook details

GenreBusiness and Economics, Self-Help

Length10 hrs 20 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateJun 4, 2026

LanguageEnglish

1Introduction — The Conversations You’re Paying Interest On

2Chapter 1 — The Conversations You’re Paying Interest On

3Chapter 2 — The 24-Hour Rule

4Chapter 3 — The Difference Between Feedback and Venting

5Chapter 4 — Firing Someone With Dignity

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6Chapter 5 — Being Fired With Dignity

7Chapter 6 — The Performance Review You Dread

8Chapter 7 — Asking for a Raise

9Chapter 8 — Asking for a Promotion

10Chapter 9 — Declining a Promotion

11Chapter 10 — Negotiating a Counteroffer

12Chapter 11 — Telling Your Boss They’re Making a Mistake

13Chapter 12 — The Conversation About Your Work That Hurt

14Chapter 13 — The Conversation About a Peer Who Isn’t Pulling Weight

15Chapter 14 — Reporting Harassment or Discrimination

16Chapter 15 — The Resignation Conversation

17Chapter 16 — Staying When You Said You’d Leave

18Chapter 17 — Delivering a Layoff That Isn’t Yours

19Chapter 18 — Receiving Feedback Without Defending

20Chapter 19 — Apologizing in a Way That Lands

21Chapter 20 — The Conversation About Mental Health

22Chapter 21 — Setting a Boundary With a Higher-Up

23Chapter 22 — When the Conversation Doesn’t Work

24Appendix A — Scripted Walkthrough: Firing a Long- Tenured Underperformer

25Appendix B — Scripted Walkthrough: Asking for a Significant Raise

26Appendix C — Scripted Walkthrough: Pushing Back on a Misaligned Senior Decision

27Appendix D — Scripted Walkthrough: Receiving Tough Feedback About Your Leadership

28Appendix E — Scripted Walkthrough: Resigning When the Relationship Is Complicated

29Appendix F — Sentences to Have on Your Tongue

30Appendix G — Scripted Walkthrough: Reporting a Senior Colleague’s Misconduct

31Appendix H — Scripted Walkthrough: Declining an Internal Opportunity Without Closing the Door

32Appendix I — Scripted Walkthrough: Confronting a Peer About a Pattern

33Appendix J — Frequently Asked Questions From the Last Decade

34Appendix K — Scripted Walkthrough: A Performance Review Where the Rating Surprises

35Appendix L — Scripted Walkthrough: The Conversation About Hygiene, Style, or Personal Presentation

36Appendix M — Scripted Walkthrough: The Conversation About a Personal Crisis at Work

37Appendix N — A Note on Practice Across Time

38Appendix O — Scripted Walkthrough: Renegotiating a Project After Conditions Change

39Appendix P — Scripted Walkthrough: The Conversation About Compensation Equity

40Appendix Q — Scripted Walkthrough: Telling a Trusted Colleague You Cannot Continue to Cover for Them

41Appendix R — Scripted Walkthrough: The Conversation About Returning to the Office

42Appendix S — Scripted Walkthrough: A Conversation You Wish You Did Not Have to Have

43Appendix T — On the Particular Difficulty of the First Conversation

44Appendix U — Notes for Particular Roles

45Appendix V — Closing Notes from the Coaching Notebook

46Appendix W — A Final Word on the Practice

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