Build your ability to discuss the toughest topics at work.

There will be times in our careers when we face conversations that dredge up tough emotions. Our instinct may be to avoid them entirely or to meet criticism with defensiveness. But learning to effectively engage in challenging conversations can create opportunities to build stronger teams and organizations.

Having Difficult Conversations explores how to use empathy and active listening to handle complicated discussions at work. You'll learn how to communicate productively under stress, offer and accept critical feedback, and ensure your team walks away from challenging conversations as a united front.

How to be human at work. The HBR Emotional Intelligence Series features smart, essential reading on the human side of professional life from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Each book in the series offers proven research showing how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work. Uplifting and practical, these books describe the social skills that are critical for ambitious professionals to master.