Have you ever dreaded a conversation at work, or one of a private nature? Perhaps it was about a job you wanted to be considered for, or a new project you really wanted to shift your focus and company resources to? And you needed to convince your supervisor of why they should agree to it. Or maybe you needed to have a chat with a supervisee over their behavior at work? Someone had complained about their combative and rude communication style? It was your job to bring this to their attention and get their agreement to commit to change. All the situations above fall under the umbrella of – difficult conversations. How can we make difficult conversations easier? Envision the outcome. Ideal outcome. Also envision obstacles and how to overcome them. Clarify your goals Anticipate the reactions of the other person Check your assumptions Understand the needs and goals of the other person Pay attention to communication styles Listen for more thoughts on how to manage difficult conversations...  #Performancemanagement #difficultconversations #management #coaching