As a manager of people, I’ve grown to enjoy having #difficultconversations. The reason? Initially, I hated them and I had to find the good in them if I wanted to carry on being a good manager and role model to others. Little by little, I saw the benefit of them…..
- People were no longer in the dark. They were enlightened and given #insights into things they needed to know, even if they didn’t want to know
- It protected others. Often feedback was about one person’s #behaviours. Having difficult conversations often took the heat off someone else and I was able to share the weight of fixing the problem.
- A stitch in time… Without putting my armour on and tackling the matter there and then, it was likely to get worse: for them in terms of how others viewed or behaved toward them, everybody else who had to put up with it, and me when I finally had to deal with the mountain instead of the mole hill.
- I grew. With every gut wrenching and brain frying difficult conversation I got better, learned how to plan and structure them and as tough as each conversation was, there was personal learning every time.
If you have a difficult conversation coming up, test the scenario with a trusted colleague or even a LinkedIn connection!