Leadership Matters: 5 ways to prepare for tough conversations
While you can’t control how others receive your message, you can boost your chances of a positive outcome by being clear, curious and calm.
It seems like there are innumerable tough conversations to be had in the workplace—for situations like mediocre performance reviews, cancelled projects, peer feedback and so on. The five tips below will help you prepare ahead of time, so you’re positioned for better outcomes more often.
But before we get into the tips, there’s a type of tough conversation that deserves special mention: tough conversations that never happen. These tend to be conversations that aren’t required in the strictest sense, but they often have great potential. After all, a cancelled project must be discussed, but telling someone that their body language makes them seem disinterested is a conversation that could, but shouldn’t, be avoided. The tendency to avoid or postpone can be especially strong when the subject is something personal or embarrassing. If you’re thinking, “I’d want to know if it was me,” then remind yourself that the conversation is a gift—not a burden—that you can bestow.
Also, a word about timing. In most cases, issues that call for tough conversations should be handled sooner rather than later. However, use common sense in scheduling ample time to have the conversation and to process it. For example, timing it right before a stressful presentation wouldn’t be ideal.
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