Your next difficult conversation may not need a stronger argument. It may need a better question.
In this episode of Mick Unplugged, Mick sits down with his coach, Derek Gaunt, for a personal conversation about the communication skills that changed how Mick leads, negotiates, and approaches conflict.
Derek draws on his law-enforcement and hostage-negotiation experience to explain tactical empathy: recognizing another person's perspective without having to agree with it. He breaks down why explaining too early creates resistance, how tone affects a conversation, and why an objection can point to a concern that has not yet been spoken aloud.
Mick shares how asking what success looked like to a client uncovered a need he had missed. Derek also discusses the practical ideas behind Fight Less, Win More, the role of curiosity, and why difficult conversations often deserve a phone call instead of another long email.
The conversation closes with lessons on coachability, silence, trust, and staying grounded under pressure.
In this episode
Why acknowledging a perspective is different from agreeing with it.
How listening helps uncover the information missing from your assumptions.
Why you should ask what success looks like before deciding what someone needs.
What a hostage-negotiation training exercise reveals about tone and pressure.
How unaddressed concerns can resurface after an agreement.
Why Derek encourages live conversation for sensitive back-and-forth discussions.
What coachability looks like when someone is already successful.
How silence creates space to learn.
Takeaways
Before your next difficult conversation, replace one assumption with a question. Listen to the answer before preparing your response.
Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about the because behind how we live, lead, and grow.
Chapters
00:00 Meet Derek Gaunt, Mick's coach
03:29 The Because: sharing the gift of communication
05:25 Derek's journey in law enforcement
11:33 The Unplugged Truth: see their perspective
16:44 What does success look like?
19:41 The warning signs you should not ignore
21:45 Hot Takes: tone and pressure in negotiation
28:09 Find the concern beneath the objection
31:05 Why the conversation needs a phone call
35:05 Fight Less, Win More
39:08 The Room: a conversation that changed Derek's path
41:30 What Derek looks for in someone he coaches
45:05 When the skills change your personal life
48:12 The Unplugged Five
53:00 Silence as a negotiation tool
54:17 Trust, training, and final lessons
56:43 Closing
Connect & Discover:
Instagram: @derekmgaunt
LinkedIn: @derek-gaunt-2943a824
Website: The Black Swan Group
Book: Fight Less, Win More: How Master Negotiators Influence Hearts, Minds and Deals
Clip: 60 Seconds or She Dies
FOLLOW MICK ON:
Spotify: MickUnplugged
Instagram: @mickunplugged
Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast
LinkedIn: @mickhunt
Website: MickHuntOfficial.com
Website: howtobeagoodleader.com
Website: Leadloudseries.com
Apple: MickUnplugged
Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One
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