Lesson 4: Navigating Difficult Conversations | Amy Gallo

Have you ever had a difficult conversation sprung on you? It can throw you for a loop and lead to defensiveness if you aren’t mentally prepared for it. And then, to add insult to injury, the conversation isn’t as productive as it could have been with time to collect and organize your thoughts in advance or an intentional lead-in.

In this video lesson, workplace expert Amy Gallo discusses ways to prepare for a hard conversation, to begin it so you and the other person work together instead of against one another, and to learn something valuable from the experience even if it doesn’t go well.

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About Amy Gallo:

Amy Gallo is an expert in conflict, communication, and workplace dynamics. She combines the latest management research with practical advice to deliver evidence-based ideas on how to improve relationships and excel at work.

She is the author of two books: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict. She has written hundreds of articles for Harvard Business Review, where she is a contributing editor. Her writing has been collected in numerous books including ones on feedback, emotional intelligence, and managing others.

For the past four years, Gallo has co-hosted HBR’s popular Women at Work podcast, which examines the struggles and successes of women in the workplace.

Gallo is on the 2023 Thinkers50 Radar List and was named a 2022 LinkedIn Top Voice in Gender Equity. In addition, the Harvard Business Review Guide video series, which Gallo stars in, was honored by the Webby Awards in 2023.

Gallo has delivered keynotes and workshops at hundreds of companies and conferences. Plus, she is frequently sought out by media outlets for her perspective on workplace dynamics, conflict, and difficult conversations. Her advice has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Marketplace, and The Austin American-Statesman, as well as on WNYC, the BBC, and ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).

She has taught at Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate of both Brown and Yale University.