WHY GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS CAN SAVE YOU MAJOR LONG-TERM PAIN
Image courtesy of Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash
Would you rather have root canal treatment than tackle a difficult conversation?
That would be a “yes” for plenty of leaders.
It’s true that in the maelstrom of an already busy day, you need to pick your battles. Some low-level issues can be left for others to resolve.
But if you find yourself in the habit of avoiding conflict because it feels uncomfortable, ask yourself what it’s costing you and your organisation.
I’ve seen many examples of long-term damage caused by issues that were never addressed. Some snowballed into public crises – completely avoidable if only a tough conversation had taken place some time earlier.
Conflict is messy – but avoidance of it can be catastrophic.
Rather than being a leader who practises “non-versations”, as Allison Schultz writes on medium.com, actively build your skills in high-stakes interactions so you walk away with a better situation than the one you first encountered.
One of the keys to getting to the crux of an issue – especially when it involves uncovering mistakes or poor behaviour – is to replace knee-jerk reactions with what Mehl and Colonna call “non-violent communication”.
That starts with saying what you see, not what you think – being as objective as possible without jumping straight to judgement.
Credible leaders communicate with clarity and influence in the public spotlight and they’re equally adept at navigating uncomfortable conversations behind closed doors.
Those private discussions might mean the difference between short-term pain that builds stronger relationships and a devastating reputation crisis.
Dr Neryl East is a professional speaker and executive coach who shows leaders how to be heard, stand out and command influence. Connect with Neryl on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neryleast/
