Do People Really Want You to Be Honest?

My wife Eleanor and I were walking up a mountain road, enjoying a rare moment of being alone together. As we rounded a bend, we saw a friend, Nancy,* not too far ahead. When we caught up with her she suggested we walk together. I've known Nancy … [Read more...]

How to Talk About What You Most Dread

"I have a question," a woman we'll call Tricia said to me during the break at a leadership training class I was teaching, "and I'd rather not ask it in front of everyone." Everyone being her colleagues, the other heads of departments at a financial … [Read more...]

The Martial Art of Difficult Conversations

My wife Eleanor and I used to live in a small house in Princeton, New Jersey. One night we returned home to find a car parked in our single space driveway with no owner in sight. We were tired and had nowhere nearby to legally park our car. So we … [Read more...]