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About Kerry Patterson
ABOUT VITALSMARTS:
An innovator in corporate training and leadership development, VitalSmarts combines three decades of original research with 50 years of the best social science thinking to help leaders and organizations achieve new levels of performance. Specifically, we focus on human behavior -- the underlying written and unwritten rules that shape what employees do every day and create the cultural operating system upon which an organization functions. Our work within the halls of some of the world's top organizations has led us to identify four skill sets present in successful companies. When used in combination, these high-leverage skills create healthy corporate cultures that spur flawless execution and consistent innovation. These skill sets are taught in our award-winning training programs and New York Times bestselling books of the same titles: Crucial Conversations, Crucial Accountability, Influencer, and Change Anything.
VitalSmarts has trained more than one million people worldwide and helped more than 300 of the Fortune 500 realize significant results using this proven method for driving rapid, sustainable and measurable change in behaviors. VitalSmarts has been ranked by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in America for eight consecutive years. www.vitalsmarts.com
OTHER VITALSMARTS AUTHORS:
Joseph Grenny is an acclaimed keynote speaker and consultant who has designed and implemented major corporate change initiatives for the past 20 years. He is also a cofounder of Unitus, a nonprofit organization that helps the world's poor achieve economic self-reliance.
David Maxfield is a leading researcher and frequent conference speaker on topics ranging from dialogue skills to performance improvement. He did doctoral work in psychology at Stanford University, where he studied personality theory and interpersonal-skill development.
Ron McMillan is a sought-after speaker and consultant. He cofounded the Covey Leadership Center, where he served as vice president of research and development. He has worked with leaders ranging from first-level managers to corporate executives on topics such as leadership and team development.
Al Switzler is a renowned consultant and speaker who has directed training and management initiatives with dozens of Fortune 500 companies worldwide. He is on the faculty of the Executive Development Center at the University of Michigan.
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Blog postInformation in the physical world often gets lost—handwritten notes, notes on a whiteboard after a brainstorm, memos, or mail, for example. Justin has a solution. Use your smartphone to photograph the info, and then email it to yourself, or save it wherever you capture inputs digitally.
9 hours ago Read more -
Blog postDear Emily,
I’ve used the techniques from Crucial Conversations in both personal and business situations with success but am now faced with the most critical conversation ever and I don’t know what to do. My husband has become increasingly enmeshed in politics. He is almost blindly devoted to Donald Trump and watches Fox News every night. My politics are far more central and I am a Democrat, and we are at odds. Despite being retired, we spend very little time together. I feel I cannot6 days ago Read more -
Blog postWe all experience missed deadlines and missed details. Justin shares a tip to make sure nothing falls through the cracks again.
1 week ago Read more -
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Blog postVice President of Development and Delivery Emily Gregory shares a tip for creating the right virtual environment for a crucial conversation.1 week ago Read more
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Blog postDear Joseph,
How should I respectfully approach a co-worker about her pungent perfume? I can tell she’s been down the hall even after she’s been gone for five or ten minutes. The scent lingers and is foul to me; after encountering it I begin to feel nauseous. She’s a very popular and pleasant person. Except for the smell of her perfume, which is always the same, I love being around her. Even as I was writing this she just came into my office with a request. Ugh. I hate to sound immatu2 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postNobody likes vague, yet dense emails. In his latest episode, Justin shares tips for becoming the teammate who writes emails that are easier to read. Step up, be the hero!
2 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postQ. My 2020 goals were disrupted by Covid-19 and beyond. As I go into 2021, what habits can I leverage to reframe and achieve the goals I want to in the classroom and beyond?
A. I remember staring 2020 in the face with new hopes, desires, and resolves. I couldn’t help thinking it would be the year of improved vision. Little did I know how true that would be. This past year was most definitely a year where we’ve all learned to see our environments, our world, and ourselves through new l2 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postIt’s 4:55 and you’re ending your workday. You need to transition out of work and leave to pick up dinner for your family. As you take a minute to review your day, it occurs to you that you didn’t finish a single key task you intended to finish when you started that morning. And yet, you feel completely exhausted. You think to yourself, “How did I not get anything done? I feel like I’ve been running around all day. Ugh. I never have enough time.”
How often does this happen to you?
3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postHaving lists give us freedom! When you use a grocery list while shopping, you suddenly have the mental freedom to get things that may not be on the list but that are important. Lists give us the freedom to think more because we’ve carefully recorded what we’ve already thought about.
3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postVice President of Development and Delivery Emily Gregory shares a tip for starting a crucial conversation when you feel nervous.
3 weeks ago Read more
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The first edition of Crucial Conversations exploded onto the scene and revolutionized the way millions of people communicate when stakes are high. This new edition gives you the tools to:
- Prepare for high-stakes situations
- Transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue
- Make it safe to talk about almost anything
- Be persuasive, not abrasive
How Do You Communicate When the Stakes Are High?
Learn how with these TWO GROUNDBREAKING BOOKS in ONE eBOOK PACKAGE!
In any organization, the best laid plans boil down to one simple thing: how well we come together to bring them to fruition. But more often than not, we end up dealing with people who come across as disagreeable, stubborn, or even obstructive. And emotions flare up. The only way to get things done is to step up to the plate . . . by stepping back from our emotions.
Written by a team of experts from the world-renowned training firm VitalSmarts, these two books provide the skills you need to make every interaction fruitful and productive in even the most emotional situations.
eBook package includes:
CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS
The New York Times bestselling Crucial Conversations has sparked a revolution in how people communicate to achieve common goals. Now, the revised second edition builds on this decade-long legacy of success to get professionals at every level and in all professions talking with partners, bosses, employees, clients—not at them.
Learn proven methods for turning the focus of hot-button discussions—job performance, customer satisfaction, interpersonal matters—away from subjective points of view and toward productive, mutually beneficial conclusions.
“[Crucial Conversations] draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time.”
—from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
“The quality of your life comes out of the quality of your dialogues and conversations. Here’s how to instantly uplift your crucial conversations.”
—Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul®
CRUCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Hold anyone accountable. Master performance discussions. Get RESULTS.
Broken promises, missed deadlines, poor behavior--they don't just make others' lives miserable; they can sap up to 50 percent of organizational performance and account for the vast majority of divorces. Crucial Accountability offers the tools for improving relationships in the workplace and in life and for resolving all these problems--permanently.
PRAISE FOR CRUCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY:
"Revolutionary ideas ... opportunities for breakthrough ..." -- Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
"Unleash the true potential of a relationship or organization and move it to the next level." -- Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager
"The most recommended and most effective resource in my library." -- Stacey Allerton Firth, Vice President, Human Resources, Ford of Canada
"Brilliant strategies for those difficult discussions at home and in the workplace." -- Soledad O’Brien, CNN news anchor and producer
"This book is the real deal.... Read it, underline it, learn from it.
For example, why is it that 95% of all diet attempts fail? Why do New Year's Resolutions last no more than a few days? Why can't people with good intentions seem to make consistent and positive strides?
Based upon the latest research in a number of psychological and medical fields, the authors of Change Anything will show that traditional will-power is not necessarily the answer to these strivings, that people are affected in their behaviors by far more subtle influences. Change Anything shows how individuals can come to understand these powerful and influential forces, and how to put these forces to work in a positive manner that brings real and meaningful results.
The authors present an array of everyday examples that will change and truly empower you to reexamine the way you go about your business and life.
Laugh at Kerry's disastrous first date in The Marshmallow Massacre.
Learn about the hidden dangers faced by today's youth in He Glows in the Dark.
Reflect on the abuse of corporate power in The Captain's Fireplace.
Enjoy the warm glow of a holiday tale in A Christmas Gift.