Foreword by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter 1. Is This Really a Hard Conversation or Something
Else?
Chapter 2. Clarity, Clarity, Clarity
Chapter 3. Being Other-Focused: Planning the Hard Conversation
Chapter 4. Organizational Politics, Working With Supervisors or
Groups, and Hard Conversations
Chapter 5. Scripting a Humane, Growth-Producing Conversation
Chapter 6. What If They Say . . . ? Possible Responses
Chapter 7. How to Be a Better Recipient of Feedback
Conclusion
Resource: Inspirational Quotes for Having Hard Conversations
References and Suggested Readings
Index
Consulting DescriptionJennifer Abrams is an international
educational and communications consultant for public and private
schools, hospitals, universities and non-profits. She trains and
coaches teachers, administrators, nurses, hospital personnel and
others on successful instructional practices, new employee support,
supervision and evaluation, generational savvy, having hard
conversations and effective collaboration skills.
In Palo Alto USD (Palo Alto, CA), Abrams led professional
development sessions and provided new teacher and supervisor
trainings at both the elementary and secondary level. From
2000-2011, she was lead coach for the Palo Alto-Mountain View-Los
Altos-Saratoga-Los Gatos Consortium’s Beginning Teacher Support and
Assessment Program.
In her educational consulting work, she has presented at annual
conferences such as Learning Forward, ASCD, NASSP, and the New
Teacher Center Annual Symposium, as well as at the Teachers’ and
Principals’ Centers for International School Leadership. Her
communications consulting in the health care sector includes
training and coaching work at the Community Hospital of the
Monterey Peninsula and Stanford Hospitals.
Her publications include Having Hard Conversations, published by
Corwin Press in 2009, the chapter “Habits of Mind for the School
Savvy Leader” in Art Costa’s and Bena Kallick’s book Learning
and Leading with Habits of Mind: 16 Essential Characteristics for
Success, and contributions to the book Mentors in the Making:
Developing New Leaders for New Teachers published by Teachers
College Press. Her most recent book with co-author Valerie Von
Frank, Generational Savvy: How to be Effective with Educators of
All Generations, was published by Corwin Press in 2013.
She considers herself a “voice coach,” helping others learn how to
best use their voices, be it in a group, in front of a classroom,
coaching a colleague, in a supervisory role and most recently in
writing for the stage, as she does as a Board Member of the
National New Play Network. Abrams holds a Master’s degree in
Education from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree in
English from Tufts University.
Watch clips of Abrams′ interview with NPR′s Claudio Sanchez, from
the ASCD Master Class Leadership Series
Abrams, who cites a broad and current body of literature, provides
a valuable rationale for why certain ways of talking are more
effective than others.
*Robert J. Garmston - Professor Emeritus & Co-Developer of
COgnitive Coaching & Adaptive Schools*
In order to grow as learners, educators and leaders, we need to be
provided with feedback that will enhance our growth. That feedback
doesn′t come easily. We shy away from providing honest feedback
because we′re afraid it will be "taken the wrong way." That is why
I love Having Hard Conversations 2.0. Jennifer Abrams brings us
through the process beautifully with a great deal of honesty, and
we can learn a great deal from her insight. This is an important
read for anyone in education.
*Peter De Witt - Former School Principal*
Having Hard Conversations 2.0 Extending the Learning is definitely
a book for our times. Jennifer Abrams has given us the why, what
and how to have a productive and professional dialogue.
Jennifer shares with us how to truly talk and interact with one
another, to face and address issues professionally so that we can
begin to create a culture for growth and improvement. Having hard
conversations may not be comfortable for us, but they are even more
necessary in our complex and changing world. This book is a must
read for all of us!
*Judy Newhouse - Executive Director*
Hard Conversations 2.0: Extending the Learning delves deeper into
the science and practice of effectively communicating introduced in
the first book. Practitioners who have used her conversation
templates previously will embrace the enhancements Jennifer offers
throughout with specific examples, scenarios and tools. This takes
the next step to encourage and support us in having those hard
conversations with a humane growth-producing mindset.
*Susan Thompson - Chief Human Capital Officer*
Having Hard Conversations ‘2.0’ provides us with accessible
research, reflective questions, effective frameworks and explicit
language that empowers us to ‘speak up for what matters’ in our
organizations. Whether adressing issues of performance or
system change, this book helps us in our drive toward competence by
clearly identifying what an appropriately planned hard conversation
looks like, sounds like and feels like. Opportunities for
guided self-reflection and a framework for scripting makes it
possible for all members of an organization – positional leader or
not – be ‘other-focused’ and engage in necessary hard conversations
that are respectful, humane and growth producing and moves us all
towards desired change.
*Luciana Cardarelli - Education Leadership*
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