Difficult Conversations in the Workplace - Part 3

I can still feel that dread in my body. The kind I used to get before having any kind of “difficult” conversation at work. 

Giving less than stellar feedback. Delivering bad news. Asking for help with my workload. Telling someone I couldn’t take another project on. 

What if I told you it was possible for those kinds of conversations to feel easier? 

I’ve been talking about how to make that happen this week. 

Yesterday, we talked mindset when it comes to difficult conversations. Today, it’s strategy time.

Combine these with the mindset shifts covered yesterday:

💡Plan Without Overplanning. 

Have a plan but do not overly prepare or overly script because that can work against you. (1) If things go off script or something you didn’t plan for happens, you may panic or get overwhelmed! It’s hard to show up how you want when feeling strong emotions. (2) If you’re fixated on thinking about your script and what you’re going to say next, you’re not going to hear what the other person is saying. Outline the points you want to make, but leave it at that.

💡Engage in Active Listening.

Listen to understand, not to respond. Ask lots of questions. Don’t interrupt. Don’t judge or jump to conclusions. Channel your empathy to understand how the other person might be thinking and feeling. The better you are at active listening, the better you are going to show up, and the more likely you are to get a better response from your counterpart in the conversation.

💡Plan for Next Steps. 

Think about what you want to happen after the conversation--keeping in mind that you may need to adjust in real time. What makes sense to move the conversation forward? What are the likely next steps? Be prepared to propose the next steps or a solution where possible, or ask for input on a solution and brainstorm together.

What was the last difficult conversation you had (or maybe avoided having) in the workplace? 

Any other strategies you’d add to the list? What mindset shift do you want to make for your next difficult conversation?