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Created on Wednesday, 13 August 2014 16:25
MASC/MASS Joint Conference
FOCUS ON
GUEST SPEAKER: Doug Stone
Douglas Stone
DOUGLAS STONE
Thursday General Session, 10:30am
"Before you tell me how to do it better, before you lay out your big plans for changing, fixing, and improving me. . . know this: I've heard it before. I've been graded, rated and ranked. Coached, screened and scored. I've been picked first, last, and not picked at all. And that was just kindergarten!"

Whether you are on the giving or the receiving end of a difficult conversation, be it in the workplace or other professional or personal relationships, Thursday General Session Speaker Douglas Stone will offer practical insights on how to turn evaluations, advice, criticisms, and coaching into productive listening and learning. Doug Stone is a lecturer at Harvard Law School and author of several award winning books, including Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (Even when it is off base, unfair, poorly delivered, and, frankly, you're not in the mood).

According to Stone and co-author Sheila Heen, who collaborated on the 2010 international bestseller Difficult Conversations, we swim in an ocean of feedback. Bosses, colleagues, customers, but also family, friends, and in-laws—they all have suggestions for our performance, parenting, or appearance. We know that feedback is essential for healthy relationships and professional development? but we dread it and often dismiss it. That?s because receiving feedback sits at the junction of two conflicting human desires. We do want to learn and grow. And we also want to be accepted just as we are right now.

Come learn what Stone and Heen can report from having spent the last ten years working with businesses, nonprofits, governments and families to determine what helps us learn and what gets in our way.

Copies of Thanks for the Feedback will be provided to all General Session attendees.