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The Way Work Ought to Be!

#1,029 - July 10, 2024

How is Your Next Conversation Going to Go? 

Usually when we sit down to have a conversation with someone, we have a good sense of what it is we want to talk about. But how often do you take the time to think about how you want the conversation to unfold? 

When you think it's going to be a contentious or potentially uncomfortable conversation, creating some simple guidelines before diving into the conversation can save you a lot of stress and help make sure the conversation doesn't veer off the rails. 

Share your agreed upon goals or purpose of the conversation. What will make both parties feel truly heard and feel as though positive progress has been made? 

Agree upon the location. Where you have the conversation can have a huge impact, so agreeing to meet in a neutral setting that is free of distractions can be extremely helpful. 

Set some parameters. What topics or questions might be off limits? 

Acknowledge that it might get uncomfortable and that both parties might misspeak. Remind each other that it's okay and give each other room to make mistakes and be human. 

How will you regroup? Talk about what you will do if and when things really get emotional, or you get sidetracked. How will you get things back on track? 

Schedule a follow-up conversation. Never think of serious conversations as a one-off event. It puts too much pressure and anxiety on everyone and turns into this "BIG THING." Schedule a follow up conversation so you can check in on how both parties are feeling about things now that you've had time to mull things over and sit with them for a while. 

Pack your sense of humor. And maybe some cookies. Or chocolate. This is just common sense.