Resource #2: The Difficult Conversation: Principles and Guidelines
- When problems arise, do your employees point the finger at everyone else but themselves?
- Are people unusually silent in meetings and having the real conversations afterwards in private?
- Do you know of employees who are putting way too much time into “work around strategies” versus real work?
- Are people in your organization wasting 40% - 50% of their productivity with ineffective communication, avoiding difficult issues, or gossiping and backbiting?
In order to effectively lead your company, you need to be able to direct employees, hear about problems as soon as possible, and develop solutions. This requires straightforward and honest communication. The problem is that many employees are afraid to speak for fear of retribution, they have political motives, or they waste time with personal agendas.
Are you frustrated from unsuccessful attempts to encourage or manage better communication? Have you asked people for direct feedback? Do you tell employees that you have an “open door” policy? Are you still waiting for the communication to open up? One reason why employees are reluctant to open us is that they haven’t dealt with their inhibitions to honest communication. No matter how much encouragement or direction you offer, it will not change people’s fear of open communication. One way of addressing this is for you to take a new approach to personally having the “difficult conversation.” If you become a positive role model others will follow.
The new approach is to address the real issues responsibly from your heart. The key is to consistently move away from judgment and blame toward giving others the benefit of the doubt while proactively addressing problems. This approach uses direct, honest and respectful communication to develop great teamwork, creative collaboration and a vital organizational culture.
There are three types of conversations that help you to develop direct and honest communication: