Supporting your managers to have difficult conversations

Difficult conversations at work are inevitable – whether it’s performance related, a disciplinary matter or another sensitive subject, there are certain situations where managers need to have these conversations to support an employee, team, or the wider organisation. ?

With Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace Report highlighting that employee stress remains at a record high, empowering and enabling our managers to have difficult conversations that support a happier, healthier, and higher performing workforce has never been more important. ?

This week, we wanted to share some ways you can support your managers to have difficult conversations. ?

1. Leading from the top?

Managers who see their senior leaders modelling the right behaviours when approaching difficult conversations and reaping the benefits are far more likely to follow suit. A shifting of mindset is a key part of this, helping managers reframe how they think about difficult conversations – an opportunity rather than an obligation.?

Whilst this process is a long-term investment that requires ongoing commitment from your senior management, what you will see over time, as this role modelling continues to promote the value of difficult conversations, these discussions will become an increasingly normal and integral part of your company culture.?

2. Encouraging employees to speak up?

Difficult conversations are not a one-way street, and the onus shouldn’t be placed entirely on the manager to ensure they're effective and constructive. In many cases, employees will need to voice their concerns or discontent for their manager to even know there is a problem. This knowledge is vital for enabling the manager to talk to their employee about the issue, however difficult, and without it, the probability of resolution is greatly reduced.?

Educating employees around the?importance of preparation and how best to initiate complex conversations is critical, along with advice on how to keep these conversations constructive and solution-focused. ?

3. Soft skills training ?

Through no fault of their own, some managers could lack the know-how and tools to navigate difficult conversations effectively - and in line with individual needs and expectations. Soft skills training can help to close this gap by developing managers’ conversational capabilities, enabling them to handle a range of challenging topics.?

This crucial training will support managers to adopt the best approach based on the individual and situation at hand. Equipped with these stronger interpersonal skills, managers will be better at recognising and managing their employees’ emotional states and needs.

4. Supporting difficult conversations with the right tools and technology?

We must ensure that managers have the modern tools and tech-enabled insights to structure conversations, difficult or otherwise, around the topics that matter most.?The conversation funnel (Organise > Prepare > Focus > Guide > Actions) that we spoke about a few weeks ago provides a clear structure that is proven to support more effective conversations and performance outcomes. It works by lending the guidance, clarity, and confidence that managers need to talk to their people and work towards the best course of action.

So while very few managers, if any, will delight in the prospect of a difficult conversation, if they at least have the right structure and tools to support them, HR leaders can remove much of the anxiety that could cause managers to avoid these vital conversations.?