Holding Honest Conversations
For all of us there will be some conversations, or some individuals, that we find it difficult to hold an honest conversation with.
It may be that we have to deliver an unwelcome or unexpected message; it may be that we are concerned about how the other person is going to react or it may be that our approach in life is to try and avoid any type of conflict or challenging discussions
According to research completed by the CMI (Chartered Management Institute) the conversations that we find most tricky are about pay, a colleague’s inappropriate behaviour or giving someone feedback on poor performance.
They go on to say that 57% of us would do almost anything to avoid having a difficult conversation, 43% of senior managers admit to losing their temper and shouting and 40% have admitted to panicking and telling a lie.
All of which is not surprising when 80% of managers said that, whilst they face a difficult conversation once a month, they have had no formal training on how to tackle them.
At The Leadership School we have created a simple and effective approach to holding honest conversations that is based on Susan Scott’s work
“Fierce Conversations – achieving success one conversation at a time”
The approach enables you to speak calmly and to clearly articulate your thoughts and feelings in a way that feels right and appropriate for you.
It is a practical and useful tool that you will be able to use in any type of conversation – at work and at home too!
In this workshop we will:
Take a look at the structure of an honest conversation and how to prepare yourself for it.
Explore how to look someone in the eye and provide them with honest, constructive feedback. Identify how you receive feedback that is given to you (and to seek it).
Discuss different strategies for dealing with emotions when you are ‘in the moment’.
Discuss how to set and maintain effective boundaries and clear expectations between yourself and others.
Objectively review situations and consider whether we (or others) are making unhelpful assumptions or judgement.
What a past Leadership School participant said:
“A new framework and approach to feedback that is absent at the moment for us. I really enjoyed the session and practising challenging conversations by using this structure. The techniques to use to manage emotions were really helpful too ”