Course Description

Crucial Conversations (APPEL-CC)

Audience

This course is designed for NASA’s technical workforce, including systems engineers and project personnel working on or leading project teams.

Goal

This two-day course teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics – at all levels of your organization. By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging others to do the same), your organization will begin to surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions, and then act on those decisions with unity and commitment.

Learning Methods

Lectures and discussions will present key theories, concepts, and proven practices related to technical writing. Participants will take part in individual and smallgroup learning exercises to help develop skills and competencies. Participants will also put this knowledge to work by writing technical/project reports such as technical assessments, technical evaluations, and work-in-progress status reports.

Specific Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Utilize a powerful, seven-step approach to confidently and skillfully handle difficult, emotionally, psychologically, or legally charged conversations that can arise in professional and personal lives.
• Resolve disagreements—accurately address concerns by talking respectfully, candidly, and skillfully with someone in a safe way.
• Build acceptance rather than resistance—give and receive feedback in a way that enhances relationships and improves results.
• Discuss how to speak persuasively, not abrasively— such to effectively talk about high-stakes, emotional and controversial topics.
• Illustrate how to foster teamwork—get the right people involved in a way that ensures better decision-making and guarantees commitment and conviction.

Competencies and Technical Areas Addressed

• Team Dynamics and Management, Communication and Stakeholder Management