Difficult Conversations

One constant for us to navigate is difficult conversations.

I don’t know anyone who likes having them.

- It’s not fun ending a relationship.
- It’s hard to admit you’ve made a mistake.
- It’s difficult giving constructive feedback.
- It’s not easy addressing harassment at work.
- It’s tough telling someone they’ve lost their job.

There ARE ways, however, to make them less painful.

Check out Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most. The book is filled with effective lessons and suggestions for tuning your approach to tough talks.

I’ve referenced it MANY times throughout my career, and it has always helped.

Here are 5 nuggets from the book:

1 - Delivering a difficult message is like throwing a hand grenade. Coated with sugar, thrown hard or soft, a hand grenade is still going to do damage.

2 - We often assume we know the intentions of others when we don’t. The truth is, intentions are invisible.

3 - As others talk, we need to understand what is said, as well as what is NOT said.

4 - Arguing without understanding is unpersuasive and unproductive.

5 - One critical assumption that often underpins our stance is “I am right, you are wrong.” This assumption causes endless grief.

It’s inevitable that 2025 will include its share of difficult conversations. However, if we become students of the craft, we can throw and catch hand grenades with more grace and goodwill. 🙂