Hi John,

We’d like to introduce a new author to Crucial Skills.

Tim Scudder joined Crucial Learning in January of this year as head of research.

Tim has spent most of his professional life studying and teaching about personality and working relationships, and in 1995 started with Core Strengths, where he worked as CEO for twenty years.

During that time, he made significant contributions to the Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) that was originally authored by psychologist Elias Porter, advancing its usability, cause, and impact.

Tim has a master’s degree in human development and a Ph.D. in human and organizational systems, and has written and co-authored several books, articles, and training resources, including Results through Relationships, Have a Nice Conflict, and The Leaders We Need: And What Makes Us Follow.

He continues his work of the last thirty years to integrate the SDI into the Crucial Learning curriculum, and we are eager to learn from his contributions here.
Managing Your Conflict Triggers
by Tim Scudder

I recently took the SDI assessment and I need help applying the insights I’ve gained. I think I now better understand why one of my coworkers annoys me. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and I tend to lose my patience when working with her. I try to mask my frustration, but I don’t really know whether I do so successfully. How can I actually OVERCOME my frustration? I get the sense she can tell I’m frustrated, which just makes her more reserved, which just frustrates me further, etc. She also took the assessment, and her profile suggests she is triggered by anything that resembles aggression. Any suggestions?

Signed,
At Odds

Thanks for your question. My first observation is that there appears to be a recurring, or pattern, issue that is affecting an important relationship. And since we don’t have the Content regarding this issue, we’ll focus on the P and R from the CPR of Content, Pattern, and Relationship.

I appreciate that you are asking questions about what you can do to make things better. It shows that you are taking personal accountability for your situation.
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May 6–10

Crucial Conversations® for Mastering Dialogue

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  • Resolve conflict.
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  • Reach alignment when stakes are high and opinions vary.
  • Navigate the most important interactions at home and work.
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