Crucial Learning

10/14/2026

Dear Crucial Skills,

How can I have a productive conversation with someone who, I believe, has a problem with alcohol when they don’t recognize or acknowledge it themselves?

Signed,
Don’t Know Where to Start

Dear Don’t Know,

You’re starting from a good place. You asked, “How can I have a productive conversation…” not, “How can I get this person to stop drinking?” The latter you can’t do; that’s up to them. But there are some things you can do to make a productive conversation more likely.

What you’re essentially asking is this: How do you talk to someone about a problem when they disagree that there is a problem at all?

This is a universal challenge that extends beyond your specific situation, so my response will have more to do with dialogue and less to do with drinking.

Set Aside Your First Conclusion
One thing I’ve noticed about myself is that when I encounter problems with others, I’m quick to conclude that they are the cause of my frustration.

Whenever a conversation originates from this conclusion, it’s likely to struggle because we show up with this motive: “If I can fix them, it will fix me.”

Master My Stories teaches us to suspend our initial conclusions and set aside what we think we know about a person and their behavior.

Getting curious about their experience and perspective will help open the door to dialogue, and that’s hard to do if we’re convinced of our judgments.

Here are a few ways to set aside your initial conclusions:

Read the rest of the article at

How can I have a productive conversation with someone who, I believe, has a problem with alcohol when they don’t recognize or acknowledge it themselves?

10/13/2026

You've made a decision. But how do we actually get people to actually follow through?

Scott Robley shares some practical tips from Crucial Conversations for Accountability that you can use today to drive better ex*****on.

For more info about how your team can execute better with the Crucial Conversations for Accountability course, visit https://cruciallearning.com/solutions/crucial-conversations-for-accountability/

10/12/2026

Have you subscribed to our Crucial Skills Podcast??

Featuring authors, master trainers and thought leaders such as Joseph Grenny, Justin Hale, Scott Robley, and Emily Gregory, the Crucial Skills Podcast explores the everyday moments that shape results, sharing practical insights, client stories, and behavioral science to help you respond more effectively at work and at home.

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts:

Explore the Crucial Skills Podcast for practical insights on communication, accountability, behavior change, productivity, and stronger workplace relationships.

10/09/2026

Dear Crucial Skills,

I’m a judge, and every year I hire new law clerks. They’re smart, but they’re new, so they make mistakes. That’s normal. The problem is that when I give them feedback, they get defensive or shut down. It feels like there’s a real generational gap between us. How do I give feedback my clerks will actually hear?

Signed,
Minding the Gap

Dear Minding the Gap,

Have a conversation before the conversation. Have you told your clerks that feedback is going to be a normal part of working for you?

Consider that your clerks were raised and taught differently than you. We don’t need to get into all of that, but it may be that they don’t see feedback as normal. That’s your opportunity. What looks like a generational gap is often an expectations gap.

So if you haven’t set that expectation, that’s partly on you. I don’t say that to blame you, just to be realistic. People hate being held accountable to a standard they didn’t know existed.

Prepare the soil before you plant the seeds. When a new clerk starts, have a conversation like this: “I’m glad you’re here. Where are you hoping to grow over the next few years?” (Then listen.)

“One of my main jobs is to help you get there, so I’m going to give you a lot of feedback, maybe more than you’re used to. I’ll never share it to blame or shame you. I won’t be perfect, but my goal will always be to help you succeed and to help all of us get the results we need here in chambers.”

Once you’ve prepared the soil, here’s my specific advice.

Rest the rest at

I'm a judge, and every year I hire new law clerks. They're smart, but they're new, so they make mistakes. That's normal. The problem is that when I give them feedback, they get defensive or shut down. It feels like there's a real generational gap between us. How do I give feedback my clerks will act...

10/08/2026

We're excited to have our own Justin Hale team up with Chief Executive Group next week! Explore how CEOs and senior leaders can build their accountability capability—and why what happens in the moments after an expectation is missed can have an outsized effect on performance.

Register: https://chiefexecutive.net/accountability-gap

10/06/2026

Discover how Crucial Learning can help your organization turn learning into stronger ex*****on and measurable impact by attending our newest free webinar!

Organizations invest in learning to improve performance. But even great training only creates value when people use what they learn to communicate better, make faster decisions, strengthen accountability, and move work forward.

Lasting behavior change takes more than a single learning event. People need opportunities to learn, practice, apply new skills, and continue developing over time.

Scott Robley will inspire you and give you practical skills to ensure your learning initiatives are leading to organizational results. Register below!

https://cruciallearning.com/resource-center/webinars/from-learning-to-ex*****on-how-connected-learning-drives-performance/

10/05/2026

Today we're excited to announce the launch of our new all-in-one Crucial Learning Platform!

The Crucial Learning Platform (CLP) is an innovative browser-based application that brings course and assessment delivery, AI-powered practice and reinforcement, content, and program administration into one connected experience.

Whether learning happens in person, virtually, or on demand, CLP gives learners, trainers, and administrators a consistent way to access and manage Crucial Learning’s courses and assessments. It also extends support beyond the learning experience, giving people continued opportunities to practice, revisit learning resources, and apply what they’ve learned in the real workplace moments where the skills can actually make an impact.

“Organizations don’t invest in learning simply to build knowledge. They invest to change behavior and improve results,” said Andy Shimberg, CEO of Crucial Learning. “CLP helps close the gap between knowing what to do and applying it when it matters. When people apply new behaviors in the moments that shape how work gets done, learning moves beyond principles and skills and impacts ex*****on and performance. CLP helps support that behavior change.”

Included with Crucial Learning learner licenses at no additional cost, CLP brings learning and continued application into one platform, giving learners access to courses, personalized feedback, Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®) insights, post-learning practice, and resources they can use on the job. Trainers and learning managers can also deliver programs, manage participation, and monitor learner engagement from the same environment.

CLP supports in-person, virtual, and on-demand learning while simplifying common technology and administrative requirements. Key platform capabilities include:

* Browser Access: Learners and trainers access CLP directly through their browser, with no platform software installation required.
* Integrated Delivery: Trainers and learning managers can offer in-person, virtual, and on-demand experiences through the same platform.
* Current Content: Trainers and learners have access to current course content and materials without managing multiple versions.
* Continued Access: Learners can keep course materials and resources available before, during, and after learning experiences, so they can revisit them when they need to apply what they’ve learned on the job.
* Centralized Administration: Learning managers and trainers can manage learners, licenses, trainers, events, participation, and learning activity from one place.
* One Experience: Learners have one place to join learning, access materials, practice, and continue applying what they’ve learned.

To learn more about the Crucial Learning Platform, visit https://cruciallearning.com/delivery-platform/

10/01/2026

Priorities must have trade-offs. Priority collisions require priority conversations.

The uncomfortable leadership question is: What will we stop, slow, or resource differently to make this priority possible?

Learn more from Scott Robley's amazing webinar, Decide, Align, Deliver: Closing the Gap Between Strategy and Ex*****on available free on demand: https://cruciallearning.com/resource-center/webinars/decide-align-deliver-closing-the-gap-between-strategy-and-ex*****on/

09/30/2026

Dear Crucial Skills,

I’m not sure how the Crucial Conversations skills apply to team-building, and I’m struggling to see how to use these strategies in that context. How can I effectively apply them to build stronger teams?

Signed,
Team Builder

Dear Team Builder,

Your question touches on a common misconception: the idea that team-building is an isolated event that takes place during an annual offsite retreat, a ropes course, or an escape room. While shared experiences in novel settings can offer value, sustainable team-development happens in the flow of everyday work.

Read the rest of this week's blog at

I’m not sure how the Crucial Conversations skills apply to team-building, and I’m struggling to see how to use these strategies in that context. How can I effectively apply them to build stronger teams?

09/24/2026

Team success depends on clear expectations.

But when workloads become unreasonable, commitments are missed, or behavior goes unaddressed, many people stay silent. They hope the problem will resolve itself.

Instead, frustration grows, accountability weakens, and ex*****on slows.

On the other hand, when people know how to set healthy boundaries, they make expectations visible, surface problems earlier, and move forward.

In our new ebook, Boundaries at Work: How to Speak Up, Strengthen Accountability, and Improve Results, you'll learn practical strategies for recognizing when a boundary is needed and how to address it with clarity and confidence.

Free Download: https://go.cruciallearning.com/20260924-general-ebook-boundaries