Your stomach‎'‎s churning‎;‎ you‎'‎re hyperventilating ‎-‎- you‎'‎re in a badly deteriorating conversation at work‎.‎ Such exchanges‎,‎ which run the gamut from firing subordinates to parrying verbal attacks from colleagues‎,‎ are so loaded with anger‎,‎ confusion‎,‎ and fear that most people handle them poorly‎:‎ they avoid them‎,‎ clamp down‎,‎ or give in‎.‎ But dodging issues‎,‎ appeasing difficult people‎,‎ and mishandling tough encounters all carry a high price for managers and companies ‎-‎- in the form of damaged relationships‎,‎ ruined careers‎,‎ and intensified problems‎.‎ In Failure to Communicate‎,‎ Holly Weeks shows how to master the combat mentality‎,‎ emotional maelstrom‎,‎ and confusion that poison difficult conversations‎.‎ Drawing on her many years as a consultant and coach to leaders and executives‎,‎ the author explains‎:‎ * Why we turn to ineffective tactics when the heat is on * How to avoid the worst pitfalls of difficult conversations‎,‎ and how to pull yourself out if you fall in * Ways to regain your balance and inject respect into stressful conversations‎,‎ even when you‎'‎ve been confronted‎,‎ infuriated‎,‎ or wronged * Strategies for mitigating aggression and defensiveness‎,‎ and for clearing the fog of misconceptions * How to get through the hardest conversations with your reputation and relationships intact Using proven techniques paired with detailed real‎-life examples‎,‎ Weeks equips you with the strategies and practices you need to transform even the toughest conversations‎.‎