I have a book titled "Crucial Conversations". The definition they give for such interactions between two or more people is three-fold: "(1) stakes are high (2) opinions vary, and (3) emotions run strong."
There was such a conversation tonight at an audition event for the a cappella club of which I am an officer. We had a few judges who would determine which a cappella groups would perform in our big end-of-semester show. As the auditions progressed, the Club president had an idea to allow everyone in the show because there were fewer groups auditioning than we had anticipated. As the judges were deliberating, we (the club officers) started to talk with them about our ideas and proposed adjustments. There were varying opinions, the quality of our show was at stake (as well as our working relationships with other club members, possibly), and we needed to reach a decision tonight.
After many minutes of debate and talk, we all reached a conclusion that turned out for the best of everyone involved. Every singing group, judge, and officer was satisfied with the results, appropriate adjustments are made or will be made, and in the end we all breathed a sigh of relief. I am grateful that this crucial conversation was brought to such a satisfactory conclusion tonight. I attribute it to everyone's willingness to listen and communicate, everyone's desire to do what is good and right, and to the peaceful influence of the Spirit of God because every good thing comes from God.
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