Kansas State University

Crucial Conversations

Submitted by Carla Nemecek

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue, a training focused on navigating high-stakes conversations with clarity and confidence.

Communication is at the heart of our work as extension professionals—leading community meetings, supporting volunteers, or working with boards and colleagues.

Crucial Conversations are the situations that often keep me up at night, but when handled well, they offer the answers to our daily lives. One of my biggest takeaways was learning to slow down and ensure we’re having the right conversation, not just reacting quickly or avoiding what’s tough.

Choosing the right dialogue is essential, especially when emotions are high or outcomes really matter.

We covered many valuable skills, but one section stood out to me the most: Document who will do what, by when, and follow up. Simple, right? It felt obvious at first, but how many times have we left a great meeting without clearly assigning tasks or establishing follow-through? It’s a common reason good ideas never take off.

In extension, we can model this by asking three questions after those important conversations:

• Who will do What?
• By When will it be done?
• How will we Follow Up?

As a professional, you can ensure someone is responsible for tracking and reviewing these commitments aloud before the meeting ends. It builds accountability and keeps momentum moving forward.

These skills don’t just apply to our work; they’re helpful at home too. Whether following through on family commitments or managing your calendar for work-life balance, intentional dialogue makes a difference.

Thanks to Karl Bradley, a leadership and team development specialist with the Extension Foundation, for facilitating our learning and guiding these important conversations. A big shout-out to the Kansas ESP Chapter, National ESP, and extension administration for offsetting much of the cost for all participants.

Like this African Proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” extension professionals go farther together.

So the only question left is this: Who will do what, by when, and how will you follow up with the crucial conversations that move your work and community forward?