Avoiding a Tough Talk at Work?

Are you facing a difficult conversation at work?  Are you putting it off, hoping the situation will solve itself?   That’s not a good management strategy.   Here are 4  problems I’ve identified that commonly occur when tough talks are avoided:

1. In the absence of information, rumors will always fill the vacuum.
2. Doubts about the economy turn into fears; fears, into rumors; rumors, into mental paralysis; mental paralysis, into lost productivity.
3. Resentments can build when tough talks are put on hold.
4. The person who must deliver the tough talk builds an emotional barrier, which does not help anyone in the long run.

If you are facing a difficult conversation, begin to get clarity about it. Figure out what you want to accomplish, think through all your options, decide when and where it should take place, and practice it out loud to your self or with a colleague.  You’ll be much better off getting your head around the issue.