How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race Practical Tools for Necessary Change in the Workplace and Beyond

Gain the confidence to not only talk about race, but actually make a difference when you do.

Negotiation expert Kwame Christian’s motto is: “The best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations.” If we want a more equitable workplace, and a more equitable world, we have to talk to each other about race.
 
But, for so many of us, that’s easier said than done. 
 
Many people avoid conversations about race because of fear: fear of discomfort, damaging important relationships, being misunderstood, “cancelled,” ostracized. How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race equips you with the skills you need to make these crucial conversations easier and more productive.
 
Whether you’re looking to create change for yourself and other BIPOC, or a white ally seeking to support your coworkers or clients, you’ll learn how to:
  •  Overcome your internal barriers to talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
  •  Work around others’ barriers to productive discussion.
  •  Be strategic about the outcome you want, and guide the conversation accordingly.
  •  Use “Compassionate Curiosity” to connect and persuade.
  •  Avoid common mistakes.
  •  Communicate more effectively over email, when you can’t talk face to face.
 
If you’ve ever struggled to turn that passion into persuasion, or been too afraid to speak up at work (or outside of it), this book is for you. 
 
The first step toward lasting social change is productive discussion. With this book, you’ll never shy away from those important conversations again—instead approaching them with courage and conviction.

Kwame Christian is the Director of the American Negotiation Institute where he conducts trainings that help to make difficult conversations easier. He's the host of the world's most popular negotiation podcast, Negotiate Anythingand his best-selling book, Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life, has helped countless individuals navigate difficult conversations.In addition to his work at theAmerican Negotiation Institute, he also serves as a business lawyer at the law firm of Carlile Patchen and Murphy LLP, a Contributor at Forbes, and professor of negotiation for The Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, the top-ranked dispute resolution program in the country, and as a professor of communication and negotiation at the MBA program at Otterbein University.