How to Have the Conversations You’ve Been Avoiding

The Art of Manliness

Philosophy, Society & Culture, Education

4.7 • 14.8K Ratings

🗓️ 17 February 2026

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The awkward silence at work when everyone knows a project is going off the rails.

The simmering resentment in a marriage over an issue neither spouse will confront.

The dysfunction in a church where certain topics are understood to be off-limits.

My guest, Joseph Grenny, says that some of the biggest problems in every organization, from businesses to families, aren't the issues themselves, but people's inability to talk about them. Joseph is a business social scientist and consultant, and the co-author of the bestselling book Crucial Conversations. For decades, he’s studied why people shut down or blow up when the stakes are high, emotions are strong, and opinions differ.

Today on the show, we talk about what makes a conversation “crucial,” why our brains betray us in conflict, and how to escape the false choice between maintaining a relationship and speaking honestly. From figuring out what kind of conversation you need to have, to creating the right conditions for connection, to dealing with criticism, we unpack how to have the conversations you’ve been avoiding — at work, at home, and everywhere else.

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Transcript

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1:52.6	Brett McKay here and welcome to another edition of the AOM podcast, which since 2008 has featured
1:57.5	conversations with the world's best authors, thinkers, and leaders that gleaned their edifying, life-improving insights without the fluff and filler.
2:05.1	The AOM podcast is just one part of the McKay mission to help individuals practice timeless virtues through thought, word, and deed.
2:11.6	Also, be sure to explore our articles in Art ofmanliness.com, read the deeper dives we do in our substack newsletter at dyingbred.net,
2:18.1	and turn our content into real-world action by joining the Strenuous Life program at
2:21.5	strunerunlesslife.com. Now on to the show.
2:31.9	The awkward silence at work when everyone knows a project is going off the rails.
2:35.9	The simmering resentment in a marriage over an issue neither spouse will confront.
	...

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