Article Excerpt:
TWST: Mr. Switzler, we'd like to begin with a brief historical sketch of VitalSmarts and a picture of the things that you're doing at the present time.Mr. Switzler: VitalSmarts was founded in 2001. We specialize in best-practice corporate training products and services. We have two main training initiatives -- Crucial Conversations(r) and Crucial Confrontations(tm). Each is a powerful set of influence tools that builds teams, enriches relationships and improves end results. We have two New York Times best-selling books, also titled Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations. VitalSmarts has helped thousands of organizations, including more than 300 of the Fortune 500, realize quick, hard- hitting results through our award-winning training programs.
TWST: Is it possible for you to describe those two basic products or techniques
that are based on those two books?
Mr. Switzler: Sure. The skill sets behind our two training initiatives are based
on more than 25 years of best-practice research. Our goal was to see if there
are certain behaviors that if improved, could yield a profound impact on end
results. For example, in one study we involved 25,000 people who were viewed as
the top influencers in their organizations. These people were deemed influential
by their colleagues and peers, independent of their titles. And we asked, "What
separates the good from the very best?" What we found is that the best were able
to step up and have any conversation - even if it was risky, tough, or
controversial - and do it in a way that actually strengthened the relationship.
How have we shared these skills with others? When we were confident we had
separated the behavioral gold from the slurry, we published two training
programs and two best-selling books - one on crucial conversations and one on
crucial confrontations.
Here's how the two skill sets combine to improve candor and effectiveness.
Crucial Conversations comes into play when opinions vary. This skill set teaches
people of different backgrounds, specialties, and interests how to talk and be
heard and encourage others to do the same. Crucial Conversations skills allow
people to share information safely, get ideas and feelings out in the open, and
maintain high levels of respect - all without causing resistance or resentment.
As people brainstorm ideas, come to a common understanding, and then make
decisions, everything gets better. Ideas, along with commitment and unity,
improve with wider and more complete involvement.
Crucial Confrontations is used when promises are broken. Once your best ideas
have led to decisions and your decisions have led to plans, it's essential that
people uniformly and effectively confront violations of the new plans or
policies. They have to know what to say and how to say it when colleagues, or
even bosses, break promises, violate expectations, or just plain behave badly.
Crucial Confrontations skills provide access to widely tested best practices for
confronting poor performance, increasing initiative, and keeping employees
motivated. Here we teach people how to describe a problem, diagnose the cause,
motivate others without causing resistance, and enable them in a way that allows
them to participate in the solution.
Tickers included in this excerpt: PVT
TWST Newsletter
For more information call (212) 952 7433. The Wall Street Transcript does not endorse any of the comments made by interviewees, and does not make stock recommendations.