Lifecycle M.I.T. Program Book of The Month–Crucial Conversations

At Lifecycle, we pride ourselves on being leaders in our industry, but we also know that it takes continual work and ongoing education to remain in that spot. Continuing education is a major focus for us and one of the ways we try to fulfill that goal is by reading together.

For our Management Interactive Training program, we pick one book a month for our team to read. We use that book to launch discussions about the topic and any related areas that we feel should be explored further. We find that this allows us to continue expanding our horizons and it enables us to leverage new ideas and thoughts from our entire team. It’s been an invaluable exercise for ensuring that our products and our ideas are both relevant and current.

For our employees in our M.I.T. program, the books represent an opportunity for them to learn more about how to work creatively, effectively, and wisely. The participants in the program are learning how to take on new positions, lead effectively, and grow into larger roles within the company. These are the future leaders and managers in the company and the books and the discussions they spark are an important part of the program they’re going through.

This past month, the book we chose was Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. We chose the book because it’s focused on high-level and clear communication when the stakes are high—those crucial conversations have to lead to correct action.

These types of conversations occur every day. Discussing a promotion with your supervisor, working out an issue with your significant other, even mediating an argument between two coworkers—these are all times when it pays to be able to make yourself understood clearly and exactly as you want to be.

Negotiating these types of situations is not a skill that we’re born with. It takes practice to train yourself to effectively communicate what you need to in the heat of the moment. When there’s a lot riding on the line, when emotions are high, being able to navigate these types of conversations and come out with an optimal result is crucial.

And that’s why we’ve introduced this book to our M.I.T. program participants. The more people in our company who know how to perform under stressful conditions, when the stakes are high, the better our entire business will be. If we want our leaders of tomorrow to have the skills to continue building our company, then we have to provide them with the tools to do so.

At Lifecycle, we want to develop the talented and creative individuals that we already have working for us and keep them within the company so that they can grow both personally and professionally. That’s why we’re so excited about the M.I.T. program and our book of the month.

Contact us today to learn more about our business, our team, and our role as leader in medical research supply.