Tough Talks Book Series

When Holiday Conversations Become Difficult

Does the holiday season bring memories of controversial conversations, family feuds, or remorseful repasts? Is the dinnertime chat more heated than the candied yams? Do you want to stuff a sock in your sibling’s teeth instead of  sausage and sage in your turkey?   If so, you might want to consider studying the CHECK® system for handling difficult discussions before you head to Grandma’s house.

Expectations are high during the season.  We all want  a Norman Rockwell kind of holiday. But  too much togetherness can bring out the worst in many people. Emotions run high and are often uncontrolled.

The CHECK® system is a 5 step system for handling difficult discussions.  (And many discussions become difficult during the holidays.) The third step is the E in CHECK®.  E stands for Emotions.

Emotions seem to reach a peak when alcohol comes into play. Beaujolais and butter rum eggnog may be a tradition during holiday meals, but it is wise to keep a cork in the bottle, or your mouth, if you want to end the day with relationships in tact.

Know when to quit talking. Let the win-lose battles take place between the Lions and the Patriots, not Uncle Larry and Aunt Patrice. Save your mouth for eating!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This entry was posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback.

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