Crucial Confrontations

Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations, and Bad Behavior (ISBN 0-07-144652-4) is the second book by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. The book discusses the importance of accountability and provides applicable skills for dealing with violated expectations. It was published by McGraw-Hill in 2004 and has since become a New York Times bestseller.
Overview
The authors define crucial confrontations as “face-to-face accountability discussion.” They assert that the majority of problems within families, teams or organizations stem from people’s inability to hold crucial confrontations. Even when others break promises, violate rules, or miss deadliness, the majority of people fear the repercussions of holding them accountable through a crucial confrontation.
The authors attribute this fear to several factors including power differentials, politics, past experience, and most commonly, a lack of skill to speak up effectively - often, people simply don’t know what to say or how to say it. Consequently, bad behavior remains unchecked and teams, organizations and families endure devastating and costly repercussions. and account for 90 percent of divorces.
Based on a premise outlined in their prior book that we are poorly equipped to handle high-stakes dialogue, the authors provide principles and skills for holding effective crucial confrontations. They claim that crucial confrontations don’t have to be uncomfortable, awkward, or explosive; rather, when handled effectively, crucial confrontations can strengthen relationships and improve vital organizational outcomes such as quality, productivity and morale.

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