Diane Ross is an expert in difficult conversations and shares her strategies with us. As a ‘recovering lawyer’ she moved into the realm of communications and having the difficult conversations. She realized that what worked in the courtroom was not working in her personal relationships.
We talk about why people avoid having difficult conversations and the trouble that can produce. Diane shares personal stories to illustrate her points.
In this episode you will learn to:
- Talk so that you are heard
- Overcome the “difficult conversation jitters”
- Disarm hostile coworkers – and even your boss
- Boost communication within your team
- Get what you want at work
If any of these have applied to you then you will likely enjoy this podcast and Diane’s book:
- Anxiety asking for a raise or vacation time
- Stress over having to fire someone or discuss employee performance
- An overbearing boss
- A coworker not pulling his or her weight
- A smelly, dirty, crude, rude (or otherwise icky) team-member
- Passive-aggressive, antagonistic, or just plain difficult coworkers or employees
We discuss Diane’s framework for having difficult conversations as follows:
Step 1: Prepare to Talk
Step 2: Design and Deliver Your ABC (accurate, brief and clear) message
Step 3: Stop Talking and Start Listening
Step 4: Respond Powerfully
The importance of ‘I’ statements in having these conversations.
If you have ever had to have a difficult conversation or think you might in the future you need to listen to this episode.
