HOW TO Have Difficult Conversations (15 Ways)

 

Difficult Conversations (15 Ways)

Nobody likes difficult conversations because they're most of the time pretty unpleasant but in the end they're necessary to get things done sooner or later we'll all face situations where our ability to handle difficult conversations will conclude whether we are successful or not so it's vitally important we foster these skills

Number one think about it from their point of view

we all think differently and that can go far in affecting our conversations how does this person react and how well are they at dealing with their emotions are they unable to accept criticism calmly or do they lash out uncontrollably are they making any sense from their perspective after all two truths can coincide during the conversation take into account how the other person will feel and give them Some space to absorb their feelings and to make sure they understand your point of view be sure to make it Crystal Clear why the meeting is necessary

Number two brainstorm with others

difficult conversations are sometimes hard for a lot of individuals because they believe they should figure it all out themselves sometimes to come to a resolution you'll need to brainstorm with other parties and analyze steps better than what you would do all alone as you brainstorm together you'll be able to consider ideas beyond your scope and come to an agreement faster surely difficult conversations can be awkward and you might clash on certain aspects but in the end you'll be able to address the issue in the best way possible

Number three pick an appropriate time for the conversation

with all our sincere goals time is a factor that can make or break the Results of our conversations how much do you hate it when you're busy with an important task and someone approaches you with something they believe is equally as important we all hate it and these conversations rarely go anywhere if you plan to have a difficult conversation with someone you should try as much as possible to reach out to them and affirm the most favorable time for both of you to dedicate your complete attention to the matter at hand And on a similar note

Number four select the appropriate location for the talk

just as you can't have a meeting in a public train system there are many other places that shouldn't be used for difficult conversations if you want to talk about something personal with a staff member instead of saying it out in the open for all to hear you might have them come into your office for a private discussion when you put into consideration the location they'll be Able to achieve substantially more just by all parties involved being more relaxed

Number five put effort into listening

making difficult conversations requires active listening and to do this you have to pay attention to what a speaking partner is saying it doesn't matter the amount you agree or disagree the validity of their argument isn't as crucial as you would believe regardless of whether the person have a history of providing Solutions simply listening can make an Enormous difference in how the conversation will end individuals Express lengthy held demands and complaints when they feel completely listened to so make an effort to not interrupt others

Number six be adaptable

while keeping your objective in mind a lot of things will influence how conversations progress it's crucial to start a difficult conversation with a clear notion of what you want to happen once you have a better grasp of the Other person's perspective be prepared to make a compromise after all the goal in the first place is to come to an understanding you may reach an agreement all the more rapidly if you approach the conversation with flexibility as you'll consider other individuals' circumstances too there is no expectation for a difficult conversation if you already understand what you're going to do and inflexibly stick to the script

Number seven you don't always have to be Right

A lot of individuals take off from difficult conversations because they're scared of being incorrectly we often get serious about things that matter to us the most and our will to be right can Cloud our judgment and sometimes derail us from having legitimate conversations if you're having a difficult conversation remember the goal is to solve an issue and not substantiate yourself right it doesn't matter who's thinking correctly and who's off-base as lengthy as you're collaborating and Integrating points to achieve innovative solutions

Number eight do not stray from the current issue

there's nothing more unproductive than a conversation that continually Strays off into unnecessary and irrelevant topics when we have difficult conversations especially with someone we don't get to speak with often we might be tempted to address other issues unequivocally but that will possibly wind up jeopardizing your progress If the other person brings up topics that are not relevant to this discussion you can politely say let's speak about that item another time or I'd be pleased to talk about that topic tomorrow to keep the conversation on course

Number nine be consistent

consistency plays a vital job in having useful conversations now when we say consistency it refers to how you treat individuals and the environment you create for the conversation to happen if you Treat individuals consistently they will open dependent upon you and speak their mind if the conversation involves multiple parties you should be consistent in dealing with everyone involved without favoritism and you should also push the discussion according to the rules and policies

Number 10 Fight Fair

a difficult conversation is immediately destroyed by accusations the moment you try to play the blame game everything Goes south and disintegrates into an argument while you're having a difficult conversation remember to fight fair because escalation will just destroy any progress you'd manage to make up to that point and there is no point in talking if you're just going to make matters worse

Number 11 take a break if you need to

you must have encountered this at least once in your life where a five minute break will provide you with a completely Different view of the issue sometimes it feels like nothing is happening regardless of whether you're everything you can to have a productive conversation with the other person your conversation could become too heated to continue regardless of how hard you try you can take a break though to relax and rethink things bring up a topic when you're both at ease and have had a time to re-strategize

Number 12. initiate the discussion the right way

Some individuals hesitate to initiate difficult conversations because they don't know how to go about it the genuine and courteous way is to be straightforward and schedule a meeting you don't want to surprise an individual with a conversation out of the blue it's fine to do it in person you may also want to do it via phone or by video but if you're looking for the perfect time to start a conversation you'll wind up procrastinating until it's too late There's rarely ever a perfect time for difficult conversations you just have to start it at whatever point you can

Number 13. agree to disagree

we're talking about difficult conversations so they don't always have a pleasant peaceful ending in fact it won't always be a decent conclusion for talks like this sometimes the best thing you can do is to agree to disagree with the hopes that you can bring up the topic again when you're better versed in it's possible to Accept individuals' points of view while still maintaining your own stand accepting their point of view doesn't suggest total agreement and it's an opportunity to research it more

Number 14 manage emotions

we can all be exceptionally emotional creatures especially with topics that affect us directly most of the difficult conversations we tend to have are personal so it's no big surprise emotions often flare up and get in the way if You're the leader of a team it's your duty to understand your teammates emotions while having difficult conversations with them always be respectful to the other person during these discussions regardless of whether you agree with them at all sometimes it'll be bad news for the person involved so you can give them a moment if they need it

Number 15. be mindful of tone and body language

Have you at any point been approached by someone and before they even say anything to you you're already on guard that's an instinct we all have the reflex to protect ourselves and our mental well-being simple misuse of body language can put us off and Trigger our defensive mechanisms so while you're talking to someone make sure your tone conveys your intention of honest dialog a lot of individuals do everything they can Under the Sun to avoid a Difficult conversation but there are times while keeping quiet and putting up with things could cost you way more than the instant gratification of avoiding the issue but the flip side of the spectrum are those that try to push through with force and conclusion up with severed friendships we frequently feel uncomfortable when we start a conversation like this especially if we're afraid of starting a major argument however if we change the way we think we May learn to confidently initiate difficult topics these skills will take you far in life and that's it for today tell us in the comments if you think we left anything out we always love hearing what you have to say