2304: How Do We Manage Difficult Conversations? (15528)

Organizer(s)

• ZR

  Zhiying Ren

  The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania, United States

Participant(s)

• KL

  Kara Luo

  Stanford U.

Presenter(s)

• CN

  Christine Nguyen

  Columbia U., United States

Participant(s)

• DA

  Daniel Ames

  Columbia Business School, United States
• HR

  Hannah Riley Bowles

  Harvard U., United States

Presenter(s)

• EH

  Einav Hart

  George Mason U., United States
• ZR

  Zhiying Ren

  The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania, United States

Organizer(s)

• EH

  Einav Hart

  George Mason U., United States

Participant(s)

• OS

  Ovul Sezer

  Cornell U., United States

Presenter(s)

• MR

  Mary Ross

  -, United States

Participant(s)

• SA

  Salvatore Affinito

  New York U., United States
• BS

  Bradley Staats

  U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States
• RS

  Rebecca Schaumberg

  The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania, United States

Presenter(s)

• JM

  Julia Minson

  Harvard Kennedy School, United States

Participant(s)

• DH

  David Hagmann

  -, Hong Kong

Organizational members increasingly find themselves immersed in debates, frictions, disagreements, and uncertainties. Effective communication skills are thus crucial for individual and organizational success. Despite the importance of difficult conversations, however, effectively managing them remains an enduring challenge, and extant research suggests that people often choose the wrong conversation strategies and harm their own and others’ outcomes. This symposium presents novel research highlighting how people can manage difficult conversations. In particular, the papers presented (1) identify negotiation issues that employers should bring up to better motivate employees; explore conversation strategies that (2) facilitate creativity and (3) increase receptivity and open-mindedness; (4) document potential caveats of demonstrating good listening in difficult conversations; and (5) discuss why people use ineffective conversation strategies despite knowing their harmful effects. Taken together, this symposium highlights the fraught nature of interpersonal communication, and demonstrates strategies to improve the effective flow of information and improve both interpersonal and organizational outcomes. These papers underscore the importance of managing difficult conversations and inform practical implications for individuals and teams.

Presentations:

• 15:00 – 16:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  2304: Negotiating Role/Workload Enhances Employee Motivation More than Negotiating Pay (15528)
  

  Author: Einav Hart – George Mason U.

  Author: Hannah Riley Bowles – Harvard U.
• 15:00 – 16:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  2304: Sharing and Caring: Dynamics of Idea Sharing, Critique, and Collaboration in Teams (15528)
  

  Author: Christine Nguyen – Columbia U.

  Author: Daniel Ames – Columbia Business School
• 15:00 – 16:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  2304: Beyond Persuasion: Improving Conversational Quality Around High-Stakes Interpersonal Disagreements (15528)
  

  Author: Julia Alexandra Minson – Harvard Kennedy School

  Author: David Hagmann – -

  Author: Kara Luo – Stanford U.
• 15:00 – 16:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  2304: You Listened Because You Agree with Me – People Think Good Listeners Share Their Views More (15528)
  

  Author: Zhiying Ren – The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania

  Author: Rebecca Schaumberg – The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania
• 15:00 – 16:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  2304: The “I Told You So” Effect (15528)
  

  Author: Ovul Sezer – Cornell U.

  Author: Mary Ross – -

  Author: Salvatore J. Affinito – New York U.

  Author: Bradley R. Staats – U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill