Why We Do What We Do

We’ve built more than three decades of research, observation, and experience into our training products. In the position papers below, penned by our authors and experts, you can see the evolution and methodology behind our training courses and understand what’s really behind the VitalSmarts brand of products.

Position Papers


Crucial Conversations Position Paper

Over the last 25 years, our study of crucial conversations has resulted in an award-winning training course and bestselling book. Teach people crucial conversations skills and you’ll improve a variety of key performance indicators.
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A High Performance Cultural Operating System

Organizational cultures are driven by written and unwritten rules. Leaders who invest in building the four crucial skills of a high performance cultural operating system reap daily rewards for their investment.
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Change Anything Training

Our research shows that when individuals, rather than bosses, are empowered to engage in self-directed change, an organization’s performance management process, corporate wellness programs, and change management initiatives become exponentially more effective.
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Influencer Training

Our researchers spent the past thirty years developing a theory of change that would crack the code of human influence. Now we share what we’ve learned through Influencer Training, a leadership development process for changing widespread behavior across teams and entire organizations.
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Eliminating Cultures of Silence

The study, Silence Fails: The Five Crucial Conversations for Flawless Execution, found that the high failure rate among a variety of high-stakes business initiatives is largely attributed to a culture of silence.
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The Human Side of Change

Our research shows groups who successfully underwent organization-wide change efforts did two things others could not—they effectively implemented crucial conversations and crucial confrontations skills.
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Speak Up or Burn Out: Five Crucial Conversations that Drive Educational Excellence

Regularly engaging in healthy crucial conversations that strengthen relationships, improve teamwork, and influence positive change can be enormously helpful in reducing the stress level of teachers.
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