161: How To Address Difficult Conversations, with Bonni Stachowiak

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed

Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.

Question from Leonardo

I´m one of your fans, I listen your podcast every day and I see better results on my day job managing an emergency room in Brazilian Hospital. I’m a cardiologist and today I work as a manger also. I was listening the episode 143, about feedback, while I was driving to my job and I was thinking how difficult to me is receive a negative feedback. I think that what struggle in this situation is emotion and controlling the emotion to respond or give some excuse for that negative perception. When I give any feedback to my employees I saw this same problem. How do I train myself to be better on that?

• Episode #143: Accepting Feedback With Sheila Heen of Difficult Conversations
• Episode #107: Three Steps To Soliciting Feedback with Tom Henschel
• Lets Get Real Or Let’s Not Play by Mahan Khalsa*

Question from Dow

• Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen*
• The Dale Carnegie Course
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie*
• Positive Coaching by Jim Thompson*

Question from Nathan

I am not currently in a “leadership” position but I feel that I am being called to leadership and feel that leadership and coaching is something that I would enjoy long term. I wanted to ask what recommendations you would have to really start moving in this direction and to start developing those skills. I’ve been trying to read books and listen to podcast to get some insight but haven’t really had the opportunity to hone these skills. I am looking at going to toastmasters to get some experience/training in public speaking to get started working on something I don’t feel I’m strong in. Do you have any recommendations of things like Toastmasters that I can check out or any suggestions on steps I could take to improve my leadership and coaching skills?

• Toastmasters
• Junior Chamber International (Jaycees)

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