The Discomfort Zone How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs

You want people to stretch their limits, but your conversations meant to help them often fall flat or backfire, creating more resistance than growth. Top leadership coach Marcia Reynolds offers a model for using the Discomfort Zone—the moment when the mind is most open to learning—to prompt people to think through problems, see situations more strategically, and transcend their limitations.

Drawing on recent discoveries in the neuroscience of learning, Reynolds shows how to ask the kinds of questions that short-circuit the brain’s defense mechanisms and habitual thought patterns. Then, instead of being told, people see for themselves the insightful and often profound solutions to what is stopping their progress. The exercises and case studies will help you use discomfort in your conversations to create lasting changes and an enlivened workforce.

Marcia Reynolds, PsyD and Master Certified Coach, is president of Covisioning, a leadership training and coaching firm helping organizations unleash the brilliance in their people. She is the author of four books, including Outsmart Your Brain and Wander Woman.

Introduction: What is Good About Discomfort?
1: Criteria for Choosing a Discomfort Zone Conversation
2: What Comes First  
3: The Map and Milestones for Your Conversation  
4: How to Listen for What to Say  
5: New Perspective—Using Discomfort Zone Conversations to Breakthrough Barriers
6: Transformation—Using Discomfort Zone Conversations to Embrace What’s Next
7: Strategizing Your Development Plan