About the Book
What Difficult Talk Are You Avoiding? What is the cost to your business and your sanity? It's possible there are some who take delight in confrontation, but the fact is that most of us rank unpleasant workplace discussion a few rungs below shark attack on the universal ladder of enjoyment. Unfortunately, difficult talks are a fact of business life. And here's another fact: they don't always go smoothly or even as planned. People are emotional beings and sometimes they just don't want to "hear it." The good news is that there are basic strategies that can help make confrontations, verbal skirmishes and angry exchanges far more manageable. Public relations professionals, for whom this book is dedicated, are some of the most extroverted people in the world. Ironically, they are also some of the most non-confrontational people on earth. Before PR pros can be the masters of tough talks at home or professional life, they need to develop the habit of having them. No one is born with this ability, it must be learned along life's journey. This fun-to-read book is packed with sound principles and proven tools to help guide PR pros with those tough talks they need to have with clients, colleagues and employees. You'll learn the power of framing and how omitting extraneous details can make bad news easier to swallow. And it will demonstrate how confronting difficulty head-on - thoughtfully and sympathetically but without ego or emotion - can earn you the respect and admiration not only of the other person in the room, but of everyone else in the office. Cohen adeptly leads readers toward a practical resolution of a dilemma we constantly face, both in our professional and personal lives. It would not be a stretch to imagine this book's title as "Tough Love on Difficult Talks." This book is for executives, managers and human resources professionals in public relations -- or, any industry where dealing with difficult conversations is part of the job. From firing an employee, pointing out offensive behavior, or confronting a difficult client, this book has the anwers. Includes: -- 116-pages of techniques and tools to help you tackle the most difficult business discussions with more finesse and less stress -- Easy-to-read and accessible, with anecdotes and case studies that illustrate a common problem and a tried-and-true solution -- Includes Difficult Talks self-assessment and step-by-step process for conquering your avoidance gremlin -- With special code at the back of book giving you access to great bonus material
About the Author: Alan Cohen, MBA, Professional Certified Coach (PCC), has more than 25 years of business experience in the areas of public relations, marketing, human resources, leadership training, and development. As executive coach, trainer, brainstorm facilitator, and speaker, Alan serves professionals in public relations, marketing, and the media, as well as other industries, to help them better navigate their ever- changing business landscape and thus achieve greater success, fulfillment, and balance. Through his coaching, he helps executives and small-business owners become more meaningfully engaged and communicate more effectively, resulting in leading their organizations to greater performance and highly improved business results. An active member of PRSA's Counselors Academy, Alan has worked with such major PR agencies as Airfoil Public Relations, Text 100, Peppercom, Kaplow Communications, Maloney & Fox (a Wagner Edstrom company), Strategic Objectives, Start-Thinking, Clairemont Communications and FerenComm, and with PR executives at Edelman, Dan Klores, PMK, Fleishman Hillard, Ketchum, and Morris-King. Prior to starting his own coaching business, Alan served as the Director of Communications for The Broadway League, the national trade association for the commercial theatre industry, presenter of the Tony Awards. As Communications Director, his most notable contribution was leading the crisis communications team during the Broadway stagehands strike. At Scholastic, he was also Director of Publicity and led the publicity team promoting the acclaimed Harry Potter book series. As Vice President at Serino Coyne and Rogers and Cowan public relations, Alan supervised public relations and cultural sponsorship activities. At Robinson Lehrer Montgomery, also as Vice President, he led consumer publicity campaigns for United Airlines, AOL's "Find A Job" service and AOL's Small Business and Life Management programs. Alan holds a bachelor's degree in English and Theatre from Connecticut College, and an MBA from Fordham University's Graduate School of Business. He is an accredited member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is one of only 2,000 Professional Certified Coaches in the world. He is also a trainer for The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, one of the only International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited coaching institutes in the world, and a trained brainstorm facilitator through Idea Champions.
