Difficult Conversations: holding the room when stakes are high

Patterson et al.'s published acronym for listening during a crucial conversation: Ask (open questions that invite him to share). Mirror (notice the gap between his words and his demeanor — "you say you're fine but you sound frustrated"). Paraphrase (restate his view in your words, looking for confirmation). Prime (offer a tentative guess at what he might be thinking when he won't speak — "are you wondering whether I trust you on this?"). Use them in order; each opens a deeper layer.