Dealing with the Elephant in the Room: Moving from Tough Conversations to Healthy Communication

Most people want to avoid tough conversations. Whether it's with a spouse, a friend, a boss, a coworker, or a child, tough conversations create high anxiety--and often lingering resentments. Communication expert Dr. Mike Bechtle offers practical help. He equips readers with the skills they need in order to handle conflict with the important people in their lives. Readers learn to be better prepared for hard conversations by learning to listen, to give and receive genuine feedback, and to saturate relationships with kindness. With the right skills and tools, anyone can feel more confident handling the elephant in the room and other conversational quicksand.

From the Back Cover

How to handle difficult conversations with kindness and confidence

Most people want to avoid the "elephant in the room." Whether it's with a spouse, a friend, a boss, a coworker, or a child, tough conversations create high anxiety and often lingering resentments. But when you don't have those needed conversations, the results can be even worse. After all, indoor elephants are impossible to ignore--and they get bigger over time.

Communication expert Dr. Mike Bechtle equips you with the skills you need in order to handle conflict with the important people in your life. You'll learn practical and productive ways to listen, to give and receive genuine feedback, and to saturate your relationships with kindness.


"What a fantastic book! Mike Bechtle is not only entertaining and compelling but his advice is rock solid and practical. Anyone who is serious about having healthy relationships--at work or on the home front--will love this book. "--Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott, authors of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts

"Mike Bechtle skillfully guides us to good communication skills. He points out that when we're under stress without the proper tools we usually default to toxic patterns learned in childhood--yelling, whining, or clamming up! Our body language, as well as our spoken words, can effectively calm our tough conversations or ignite a raging war. Being an effective communicator can be learned by using his easily applicable counsel. His book is full of wisdom."--Elizabeth B. Brown, author of Living Successfully with Screwed-Up People


Dr. Mike Bechtle (EdD, Arizona State University) is the author of People Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them the Keys, How to Communicate with Confidence, and I Wish He Had Come with Instructions. His articles have appeared in publications such as Writer's Digest, Pastors.com, and Entrepreneur. A frequent speaker, Bechtle lives in California. Learn more at www.mikebechtle.com.