Managing Difficult Conversations

This elective 3- unit course is offered with Pass-Fail grading to MBA students who aspire to improve their ability to deal effectively with difficult professional and personal interpersonal situations. Class is held Tuesday, 3:10-6:10 PM. The course will be taught by William F. Meehan III, the Raccoon Partners Lecturer in Management and Senior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey and Company, and Charles G. Prober, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology & Immunology and Senior Associate Vice Provost for Health Education, Stanford School of Medicine. The course, which is case/vignette-based, involves frequent student-to-student and student-to-instructor role-playing in authentic business and medical interactions. GSBGEN 368 is cross-listed with Inde 238, which draws primarily medical students, and part of the learning environment of the course is the mix of perspectives and vignettes we role play and discuss. Topic-specific experts often will be present to participate as class guests. Relevant principles of professionalism, leadership, and psychology underlie the course pedagogy. Students will be expected to attend all classes unless excused in advance.Class preparation will include reading of assigned cases/vignettes, analysis of the situations presented and recommendations as to how to confront specific difficult conversations; and reading of assigned background material. It is important that all students participate actively in classroom discussions. Class size will be limited to 45 students per the following: (1) a maximum of 30 MBA students and (2) a maximum of 15 medical or other non-GSB graduate students. GSB students enroll under GSBGEN 368. Please email Dr. Prober or Professor Meehan directly if you have any questions..