The Art and Science of Difficult Conversations

The Do’s and Don’ts of negotiating a raise   Summary :  Being paid fairly for your work is always a hot topic issue.  In fact, if you’ve been at your company for quite a while, you should consider asking for a raise.  And it’s not just an intellectual exercise. Not getting a raise can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your career and you might be miss...

Join us for another compilation episode! This time, we put together Season One's most popular roleplay episodes of personal relationship scenarios. Enjoy! Do you have feedback or tips for what we could do in season two? Please let us know! Connect with us here: Email: tas.difficultconversations@gmail.com LinkedIn: Chris—www.linkedin.com/in/chriswonglmhc Lucie—www.linkedin.com/in/lucietesarova Want...

Join us for another compilation episode! This time, we put together Season one's most popular roleplay episodes of professional relationship scenarios.  Enjoy!  Do you have feedback? Tips what we could do in season two? Please let us know!  Connect with us here:  Email:  tas.difficultconversations@gmail.com LinkedIn :   Chris –  www.linkedin.c...

Today, we're doing something a little different. Over the past few months, we've had some amazing guests share their wisdom, personal stories, and strategies for navigating tough conversations. As we reach a new milestone and are completing season 1 of our podcast, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate and revisit together the most popular and impactful interviews from season one! And btw, we ar...

Join us for the Season 1 Compilation Episode, focusing on several strategies that can make your difficult conversations better and more effective.  Do you have feedback? Tips what we could do in season two? Please let us know!  Connect with us here:  Email:  tas.difficultconversations@gmail.com LinkedIn :   Chris –  www.linkedin.com/in/chriswonglmhc Luc...

Join us for the final episode of season one of our podcast! Thank you for joining us on this journey, for all your comments and support, and for your curiosity and commitment to improving your conversations - be it in your personal or professional life. Thank you!  What do we cover in this episode? Unexpected Beginnings : Chris and Lucie reflect on how their podcast collaboration started...

In this episode, we sit down with Aries Yeo, a former banking executive turned leadership coach, to discuss how her cultural background and upbringing make it often difficult for her to speak up. She provides insights into how her value of authenticity gives her the courage to overcome these cultural barriers and personal fears and enables her to engage in meaningful dialogues. Key Takeaways: Bein...

Join us this week to explore how to talk with your partner (spouse) about household chores and responsibilities. In this episode, Chris Wong and Lucie Tesarova role-play a couple: one is a bit messier, and the other would prefer to have the household cleaner. See what mistakes Chris made in the first scenario, and what he did differently in the second take of this roleplay.  What could you ta...

Summary: In this episode, Lucie explores the transformative power of validation in communication. Learn how validation can break the cycle of miscommunication, reduce conflicts, and foster deeper connections in both personal and professional relationships. By the end of the episode, you’ll understand what validation is, why it’s crucial for effective communication, and how to apply it in your dail...

In this episode of the Art and Science of Difficult Conversations, we have a special guest, a performance and relationship coach, Tahi Matejko . In this interview episode with Lucie Tesarova, Tahi is sharing not only lessons learned from growing up in a multicultural environment and how it aided in making the difficult conversations better in her family, but also tune in to this episode to fi...

🎙️ Navigating Difficult Conversations: Setting Boundaries with Empathy 🎙️ In our latest podcast episode, Lucie and Chris dove deep into a scenario many of us can relate to – setting boundaries with a friend who tends to guilt-trip. 🛑 Boundaries are essential for maintaining healthy relationships, yet many struggle to assert them without feeling guilty or aggressive. Here's a quick recap of o...

In this episode of the "Art and Science of Difficult Conversations" podcast, we tackle the challenging topic of setting boundaries around guilt-tripping. Lucie delves into identifying guilt-tripping behaviors, understanding the difference between healthy (constructive) and unhealthy (destructive) guilt, and exploring why guilt-tripping happens so that we can show empathy towards ourselves and othe...

How do we have conversations about body image? Especially in a culture where a high premium is placed on how we look and how much we weigh, it’s hard to find confidence in our own bodies. Today, Lucie and Chris interview a special guest, Laura Conley who experienced her own journey to being comfortable, both in her own skin and with talking with others about it. Laura is a Certified Life + Weight...

Episode Overview: In this role-play episode, Lucie and Chris delve into a common workplace challenge: managing delegation effectively, especially when team members resist added responsibilities. They simulate a scenario where Lucie, the manager, tries to delegate tasks left by a departed colleague to Chris, who is hesitant to take on more work. Through their discussion, they explore different...

Even more things NOT to say in hard conversations In this strategy episode, Chris walks through 12 instinctual communication habits that almost all of us use without realizing it. And most of the time, it’s not a big deal – but in difficult conversations, it can really make a HUGE difference. Hint – some of them will surprise you: Ordering Warning Moralizing Advising Using Logic Criticizing Praisi...

What does it mean to grow up in different cultural settings? How do you find your own voice and find the confidence to be yourself? In this episode, Chris interviews Andrea Horton-Meriçli, Founder of Diversifuse DEI Consulting Services, about her experiences growing up mixed-race in Texas and how, as a first-generation college student, she found confidence in her history and talents to succeed in...

Ever found yourself in a sticky situation with your boss or a colleague where you just couldn't express your needs effectively? 🤔 Tune into our latest episode of "The Art and Science of Difficult Conversations," where we explore practical strategies for managing up and steering tough discussions toward productive outcomes. Don't miss these invaluable insights! 🎧 #Leadership #Communication #Podca...

Communication is really hard; good dialogue is even harder.  The essence of good communication and good dialog is being able to say what you want to say and create an environment where the other person is also willing and open to share. In this episode, Chris walks through common things we all say that actually get in the way of good conversations. Take a listen and let us know - do you do or...

Everyone’s leadership journey is different, but have you ever:  -          Been told you were not a good leader -          Set out to prove them wrong -          Realize they were right all along? That’s Jack Skeels story - he joined us today to talk about his own leadership...

In this thought-provoking episode, hosts Chris Wong and Lucie Tesarova delve into the complexities of navigating emotionally charged discussions within family dynamics. Using a role-playing strategy, they explore the difficult conversation about suggesting assisted living to an elderly parent. This episode touches on cultural sensitivities, shows the importance of empathy and valida...

There is no shortage of seminars, books, and trainings out there that focus on active listening skills.  But even if you get good at them, what are you even listening for?  In this episode, Chris walks through just exactly WHAT you should be listening for in hard conversations.  Because, at the end of the day, good listening skills really focus on bringing what's unsaid to the surfa...

This episode features Steven Farber  discussing with Lucie Tesarova the critical role of communication in solving workplace issues and improving personal relationships. Tune in to learn:  - how empathy & understanding of the other can help in having better personal and professional conversations - how introverts and extroverts may communicate differently and what kind of challenges t...

Summary:   Have you ever had that frustrating experience of working with a boss who keeps criticizing you and micromanaging you? Or, maybe you are a team leader who works with team members that you don’t trust that they can get the job done right, and your 1:1s are not going anywhere, as the team members don’t seem to take any responsibility and the same issues continue to happen? ...

When   is   it   time   to  call  it  quits? A question we’ve been getting more and more recently  is  “ when   is   it   time   to  call  it  quits”?   And  it ’s a fair question, because drawing the line in hard conversations  is  more than just ending emotional outbursts.   It  mea...

In this week's episode, we interview Mikel Wisler, an award-winning filmmaker and author.  He is a big fan of science fiction and helping others find meaning through stories (in all forms).  In this episode, we talk about: - The vulnerability that comes with putting yourself out there and how to handle feedback/criticism - How leaders can take their storytelling to the next level to moti...