Surviving Dreaded Conversations. Talk through any difficult situation at work. Donna Flagg. 2010 ISBN 9780071630252. Another very useful book from McGraw Hill.  Boy do I wish I had this book by my desk many times in my career.  Her opening paragraphs/exercises  on how to confront your own ego and recognize its impact are worth price of the book in itself.  By using real world real people examples Flagg is able to drive home,  how, what, when and where to get it done.  She even included scripts and tips on structure of conversations. Some of the uses of humour are just priceless!  Lesson learned, bite the bullet, pick the time and place and do the deed, the anxiety you feel beforehand is way larger than the work involved.  Great managers bookshelf book (but it is as useful for employees as well)  And its an easy read.