The Courageous Messenger

The book to read before you open your mouth. This survival manual relates the finer points of communicating bad news, voicing strong opinions and discussing difficult issues at the office without compromising your position...or your job. Filled with tips, illuminating stories, and a practical tool box of exercises, The Courageous Messenger gives you the means to assess the benefits, risks and motivations of communicating difficult messages. It helps you become a skilled messenger. And it teaches you how to speak with courage, clarity and -- most importantly -- diplomacy, whether you're addressing peers, bosses or employees. Acknowledgements

The Authors

Part One: Everyday Acts of Courage

1. Welcome to this Book

2. Courageous Messengers

3. Messengers and Tough News

4. Becoming a Skilled Messenger

Part Two: Finding the Courage

5. Courage is an Inside Job

6. Know Your True Message

7. Know Your Real Motivation

8. Assess Your Risk

9. Understand Your Yes-Buts

10. Make a Decision

Part Three: Acting with Courage

11. Get Ready for the Conversation

12. Open the Conversation

13. Present Your Message and Motivation

14. Talk About Your Message with Your Receiver

15. Wrap Up the Conversation

16. Follow Through

Part Four: The Tough Cases

17. Do You Really have a Tough Case

18. Get Ready for a Tough Case

19. Talk with Your Receiver in a Tough Case

Part Five: Sustaining the Courage

20. How Did It Go? What Did You Learn?

21. The Messengers's Transformation

22. Changing the Organization by Speaking Up

The Messenger's Tool Box-Basic Communication Skills-When You Are the Receiver of Tough News-When You Cannot Deliver Your Message in Person-Summary of Tips for Messengers "Read this book. It's full of choices and ways to get unstuck when you feel trapped. The authors give you permission to start over and improvise along the way. What else could you ask for?" --Josh Hammond, author, The Stuff Americans are Made Of

Kathleen D. Ryan, known for her work in team development, strategic planning, and continuous quality improvement, is a principal in the consulting firm Orion Partnership. She lives in Issaquah, Washington.

Daniel K. Oestreich is the author of The Courageous Messenger: How to Successfully Speak Up at Work, published by Wiley.

The book to read before you open your mouth. This survival manual relates the finer points of communicating bad news, voicing strong opinions and discussing difficult issues at the office without compromising your position...or your job. Filled with tips, illuminating stories, and a practical "tool box" of exercises, The Courageous Messenger gives you the means to assess the benefits, risks and motivations of communicating difficult messages. It helps you become a skilled messenger. And it teaches you how to speak with courage, clarity and -- most importantly -- diplomacy, whether you're addressing peers, bosses or employees. The book to read before you open your mouth. This survival manual relates the finer points of communicating bad news, voicing strong opinions and discussing difficult issues at the office without compromising your position...or your job. Filled with tips, illuminating stories, and a practical "tool box" of exercises, The Courageous Messenger gives you the means to assess the benefits, risks and motivations of communicating difficult messages. It helps you become a skilled messenger. And it teaches you how to speak with courage, clarity and -- most importantly -- diplomacy, whether you're addressing peers, bosses or employees.