The ONE Thing to Do Before Any Tough Conversation

We all approach tough conversations in a variety of ways.

Some of us wish to avoid them, some prefer to attack them head on, some prefer to do them early and some prefer to do them late. Whatever your preferred method, how are you preparing for the inevitable confrontation?

Whether the conversation is with your employee, your boss, your spouse or your child, we should all be doing one major thing prior to sitting down, having coffee or dressing down the individual at the center of our conundrum.  

What is that you ask? What is more important than driving our point home, making it clear that we are correct in a situation, or enforcing a rule more thoroughly?

LOOKING AT OURSELVES!

How many of us take the time to actually pause, reflect on our own actions in the situation, and then proceed with a renewed level of self-awareness into the tough conversation? Our guess is just a few of us take the time for a little self-reflection and investigation as to our part in the current conundrum.

Did we fail to enforce the rules? Have we been lenient until now and are sending mixed messages? Did we…? Were we…? Should we have…? They’re all questions that we should ask ourselves prior to engaging confrontation.

If we can answer said questions and own our part in the situation, the more likely we are to create an opportunity for a positive outcome to exit said tough conversation. In owning our part in the current space, the recipient of our ire is less likely to react negatively and the chances for you both to keep your feelings in check is greater.  

So, don’t forget to check yourself first friends, and prepare for that tough conversation with a renewed level of self-awareness.