Navigate difficult conversations
Difficult conversations challenge leaders as they require addressing sensitive matters while maintaining trust and motivation within the team.
Here are three ideas with impact to help balance directness with empathy in emotionally charged situations.
Reflect:
Fear of being disliked can hold leaders and managers back from soliciting or giving feedback, especially in the early stages of our career, so how can you grow in this area?
Radical Candor author Kim Scott encourages us to share our opinions honestly and humbly. Radical Candor is measured not at the speaker's mouth, but at the listener’s ear; “it’s not what you say, it’s how the other person hears it.”
Take Action:
A proven technique you can use during difficult conversations is to practice active listening. This involves fully concentrating on what the other person is saying, without interruption.
Active listening can defuse tensions, make the other person feel heard and respected, and lay the groundwork for more productive dialogue.
Be Inspired:
“Our job as persuaders is easier than we think. It’s not to get others believing what we say. It’s just to stop them unbelieving.” – Chris Voss, author of Never Split the Difference
Good luck mastering the art of difficult conversations!