We've worked with dozens of organizations and hundreds of people to inculcate & implement Crucial Conversations skills. How are we doing? Read what our clients have to say.
Crucial Conversations
> Read a Letter About Kurt's Crucial Conversations Training Skills
from Bruce Johnson, President, Johnson & Associates, Inc.
>Letter About Kurt's Organizational Insights & Crucial Conversations
from Dennis Kaufman, CEO
>Letter About Crucial Conversations and Kurt's Presentation Skills
from Florian Kete, VP Human Resources, Excel Polymers
>Letter About Kurt, "One of the Best Presenters," & Crucial Conversations
from James R. Hayes, CEO, Radiology Associates of Indianapolis, Inc.
"Kurt has a mastery of the material, a plain spoken style and a reverance for the learner that is second to none. It was an honor and a privilege to learn from one of the true masters of Crucial Conversations."
Sean A. Nelson, GPHR, SPHR
VP, HR
Authentidate, Inc.
"Rio Tinto is a global mining company whose business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources such as aluminum, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.
We provide training and development to leaders at all management levels. One of our most successful workshops has been Crucial Conversations which has prepared many employees to communicate effectively when the stakes are high, opinions are opposing, and emotions are strong. Such skills have enabled us to focus successfully on results while strengthening our relationships, two factors critical to our success, especially during today’s challenging business environment.
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Karl Burch, Manager
Leadership & Organization Development
Rio Tinto, Americas Region
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Dr. Southam Leading a VitalSmarts Seminar
“Kurt, just a note to say thanks for your most recent assistance in our Crucial Conversations training. It is apparent to me, and to several others site leaders, that the tools provided work and that the principles are not only easy to apply but also represent solid management behaviors. There have been numerous instances over the past few weeks when as a staff we have shared personal successes thanks to a newly learned Crucial Conversations approach. Thanks again for your help and I look forward to our future encounters.”
Steven F. Dwyer
Chief Operating Officer
Rolls-Royce Corporation
“Crucial Conversations training with Kurt was one of the best courses we have ever offered at Briggs & Stratton. Kurt did a great job of helping us understand, reflect on and internalize the concepts. Within days of the training, members of our management team were having "crucial conversations" that should have been had a long time ago. This training is great for all levels of the organization - from the most seasoned veteran to the new employee out of school. It sets the tone for a culture of getting the right things done right.”
Todd Teske, EVP & COO
Briggs & Stratton Corporation
“After surveying all of our associates it was evident we needed to do a better job training our managers, communicating with associates, and holding associates accountable. We found that the Crucial Conversation course was the ticket to attack all three of these challenges. We proceeded to send 250 managers through the course. The first group to attend the course was our senior management. We determined the best way to get buy in and have the principles last, was to have senior management become certified and teach the training. The CEO, CFO, Vice President of Stores, Vice President of Operations along with seven other regional managers conducted the training. Having senior management conduct the training added instant credibility to the program. We are a better executive team and better company due to the principles we learned in the Crucial Conversations course.”
Scott Hymas CEO, R.C. Willey
"Crucial Conversations training has helped focus our organization on efficient, honest communications. Individuals spend less time talking about problems and more time addressing them."
Joseph Wright, Senior Vice President
Briggs and Stratton Corporation
“We use Crucial Conversations training because it’s all about getting great results. It focuses on personal accountability. It helps us separate facts from assumptions and identify the real root causes of performance issues. Like everyone else in the industry, we hire smart people and we need an environment where people feel safe in speaking their minds and challenging the status quo in a positive, productive way. Crucial Conversations training provides the right skills. In an atmosphere of mutual purpose and mutual respect, our people are better able to meet the high performance standards required in the nuclear industry.”
Rick Muench
President & CEO, Wolf Creek
“On behalf of the PASBO (Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials) Board of Directors, thank you for your presentation on Crucial Conversations. We had a record of 105 attendees. It was quite clear that your message resonated with our members in both their professional and personal lives. I received multiple comments on how much participants learned from and enjoyed your presentation. Several also inquired about using your services at other events so I think you can expect to be hearing from PASBO.”
Michael L. Hurly, PRSBO
PASBO President
Corrine Shearer
Chief Learning Officer
“Crucial Conversations training with Kurt was one of the best courses we have ever offered at Briggs & Stratton. Kurt did a great job of helping us understand, reflect on and internalize the concepts. Within days of the training, members of our management team were having "crucial conversations" that should have been had a long time ago. This training is great for all levels of the organization - from the most seasoned veteran to the new employee out of school. It sets the tone for a culture of getting the right things done right.”
Todd Teske, EVP & COO, Briggs & Stratton Corporation
“After surveying all of our associates it was evident we needed to do a better job training our managers, communicating with associates, and holding associates accountable. We found that the Crucial Conversation course was the ticket to attack all three of these challenges. We proceeded to send 250 managers through the course. The first group to attend the course was our senior management. We determined the best way to get buy in and have the principles last, was to have senior management become certified and teach the training. The CEO, CFO, Vice President of Stores, Vice President of Operations along with seven other regional managers conducted the training. Having senior management conduct the training added instant credibility to the program. We are a better executive team and better company due to the principles we learned in the Crucial Conversations course.”
Scott Hymas, CEO, R.C. Willey
“In 2007 our senior business managers at Excel took on the effort to improve teamwork, communications and overall performance. We knew we had to work to do to knock down the traditional functional chimneys in our organization. We were fortunate to have found a program and effective instructional leader who more than fulfilled our expectations. The Crucial Conversations program is practical, penetrating and inspiring. It is based on research, backed with data, focused on influence and persuasion skills of thousands of business executives. The program is about observed best practices and tools to improve communication at all levels of the organization and in your personal lives. When I completed the course my reaction was: I wish I had these tools and skills 30 years ago! You helped transform our business and more importantly, the lives which drive it.”
John Quinn, CEO Excel Polymers
“I worked with Kurt when he facilitated teaching Crucial Conversations to representatives from our company. Kurt did a great job in presenting the information in an engaging, fun and informative way and provided some great advice on how to apply the concepts in our "real world". More importantly, Kurt was outstanding at customer service, which he demonstrated repeatedly by tailoring his support and the content and delivery to meet our needs!”
Dennis Armstrong
Senior Vice President of Talent Management & Organization Effectiveness
Limited Brands
“For me, what I learned in Crucial Conversations was like an awakening. I attended to explore leadership skills training for my company, but these skills impact every aspect of life on and off the job. This training is all about results and skills, not just theory!”
Jacqueline Witte, Vice President Human Resources, UMB Financial Corp.
“Our senior leadership team believes in Crucial Conversations training. It’s helped us more openly address the issues most critical to our success. In our business (nuclear power) it’s vitally important to challenge each others’ thinking and behavior in a way that brings out the best in everyone. Crucial Conversations training not soft and fuzzy stuff. It involves specific and learnable skills that enable people to get great results. In 2005 we will provide the rest of our leaders Crucial Conversations training.”
Gregg Overbeck
Senior VP, Palo Verde
"Kurt was a wonderful guide through my exploration of improving the personal and professional relationships in my life. He related his own stories which helped me feel comfortable sharing my challenges. His insight was very valuable as I began to increase my awareness of how I impact the results of conversation / dialogue - positively and negatively. Kurt's passion and commitment towards helping people be more effective is very apparent."
Kris Crowell
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
“I found the Crucial Conversations Training with Dr. Kurt Southam to be outstanding. The "tools for talking when the stakes are high" are practical and based on sound and thorough research. I have since recommended this important book as well as some of the key workshop learning points to colleagues, family, and friends. Highly useful.”
Steve Miller
Director, Professional Development
The Sherwin-Williams Company
“We have now been working with you on Crucial Conversations skills for almost three years. Our executive team is better than ever! Managers and associates are working together like never before. Many have expressed to me that this is the best thing we have ever done in terms of associate development. Issues no longer go through my office. The people involved are dealing with issues. If complaints begin the individuals are sent to deal with the responsible parties. Last year was our best year yet and this year looks even better! There is no question in my mind that this is having and will continue to have positive impact on our results. This is all about improving results.”
Dennis E. Kaufman
CEO, Total Image
"Crucial Conversations training has helped focus our organization on efficient, honest communications. Individuals spend less time talking about problems and more time addressing them."
Joseph Wright, Senior Vice President
Briggs and Stratton Corporation
“Attending the Crucial Conversations training enhanced my communications both personally and professionally. Working as an IT professional it's been challenging to present ideas without emotion, the skills I acquired during this training allow me to get unstuck and move forward without frustrations. I would recommend this training for anyone who wants to communicate efficiently and effectively.”
Chris Jenkins
Chief Technology Strategist
Ohio Society of CPAs
“After taking the ‘Crucial Conversations’ training, I have been able to apply its lessons regularly to various aspects of my personal and professional life. It is clearly about producing results! The course has allowed me to address not only some areas where I was clearly “stuck”, but also taught me a whole new approach to communicating towards results.”
Mary Beth Drake
Senior Director Corporate - Human Resources
McGraw-Hill
“The recent Crucial Conversation seminar, I attended couldn't of been offered at a better time. The day after completing your seminar, I was scheduled to give a deposition regarding a pending legal matter concerning come restoration my company completed. Prior to completing the seminar I was loaded for "BEAR" going into that deposition, however your seminar taught me a different approach. I am sure my attorney felt relieved, when the deposition was over…I hadn't gone "BEAR HUNTING" but actually keep an open dialogue, THANKS TO CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS!!!”
Craig Young
President
Purofirst
"Thirty minutes into the class came a Eureka! the first of many! With each crucial conversation skill explored and practiced in your class, my confidence in the good solid common sense of the strategy increased. I have no doubt that my value as a consultant has been enhanced, and that personal conversations will be immeasurably improved."
Linda L. Odum, Ph.D.
Corporate Trainer/Consultant.
“The partners of Wegman, Hessler & Vanderburg recently participated in the Crucial Conversations Seminar conducted by Kurt Southam. The seminar was one of the best continuing education seminars I have attended. We attended with spouses and the lessons we learned about how to improve our listening and communication skills are invaluable. Over the course of two days we were able to role-play a number of techniques and promptly apply the material taught. Upon returning to our law practice we used the Crucial Conversation skills to confront a touchy situation with a client and were able to create a situation where each of us were safe to confront an issue, dialogue about facts vs. feelings and reach resolution which strengthened mutual respect and cooperation. This one meeting was worth the cost of the seminar. On a personal note, my wife and I are utilizing the skills together and helping to make our marriage and family relationships stronger and healthier as we communicate in a more effective and loving manner.”
Keith Vanderburg, Partner
Wegman, Hessler & Vanderburg
“Several of our Employee Education Resource Center staff attended the Crucial Conversations workshop conducted by Kurt Southam to evaluate its relevance and value to our organization. I have attended numerous workshops and seminars on similar topics, and I have to say that this is the most practical and immediately applicable content I have found. The comments from other training and development professionals in our organization indicate that they also found it very useful in many aspects of their jobs and personal lives. We are exploring ways to offer this skill set more broadly in our organization.”
Kathryn C. Young, Ph.D.
Managing Director, Cleveland EERC
Veteran’s Administration
“Kurt, I really enjoyed the Crucial Conversations course last week. I have already had many opportunities for crucial conversations - both in my personal life and today at work here at Diablo Canyon (nuclear power plant). I wanted to thank you very much for your enthusiastic and heart felt presentation to us. I believe we got a true expert to school us!”
Lynn Walter
Engineering Manager
Diablo Canyon Power Plant
“At Globid LLC, our core service is setting sales appointments for our clients with highly qualified, executive-level decision makers. We are in the business of holding “Crucial Conversations” on behalf of our clients on a daily basis. The stakes for our company are quite high because these conversations are the first (and usually only) chance for us to introduce our clients’ value propositions to qualified prospects, and hopefully, to set an appointment. The Crucial Conversations seminar led by Kurt Southam really hit a home run with me. For years I have relied upon things like “experience”, “instinct”, and “salesmanship” to set sales appointments, and close sales. Kurt’s seminar was like somebody taking off sunglasses that I didn’t know were there. I could see before, but see clearly now. Crucial Conversations provides a clear model and lexicon for all of the communications and sales skills that I acquired over the years through osmosis. Most importantly, Kurt effectively teaches practical techniques for conversing with others that participants can use right away. I highly recommend Kurt Southam and Crucial Conversations!”
Patrick Callahan
Founder
Globid, LLC