Afterword

What I’ve Learned About Crucial Conversations in the Past Ten Years

In this chapter we (the authors) will step out of our collective voice and talk to you personally. Since Crucial Conversations was first published in 2002, we’ve traveled millions of miles around the world and addressed hundreds of thousands of people to share our research and advice on these vital skills. Needless to say, we’ve learned as much as anyone from interacting with the many people who have struggled in the same way we have struggled to turn these ideas into habits—and attempted to use them to enrich their lives and strengthen their organizations. In this afterword we’ll share a reflection or two about how our thinking has changed over the past decade through our conversations and experiences with readers like you and in our own life challenges as well.