To navigate the difficulties of having hard conversations, Stanford GSB Professor Irv Grousbeck says we need the right balance of conviction and compassion. "Directness, with respect, is essential,” says Grousbeck, The MBA Class of 1980 Adjunct Professor of Management. "So many of our students feel that if you're direct with someone, somehow that's harsh. The art of good conversation management, I think, does involve directness and respect at the same time." At both Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford Medical School, Grousbeck teaches courses on managing difficult conversations, equipping students to be direct while being respectful, to be strong while being warm, and to resist any urge to beat around the bush. “Don’t mistake vagueness for compassion,” he says. “Being vague with somebody is not being compassionate. They deserve to know where they stand.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Grousbeck and host Matt Abrahams explore practical tips and strategies for navigating difficult conversations, from the importance of listening and pausing to the value of rehearsing your words in advance — they even go through a role-playing exercise to illustrate the nuance of communicating with confidence, empathy, and skill.
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Stanford Graduate School of Business
