{"id":15099,"date":"2023-05-18T18:26:49","date_gmt":"2023-05-18T23:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bbinsurance.com\/?post_type=insight&p=15099"},"modified":"2023-05-18T18:26:49","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T23:26:49","slug":"we-need-to-talk-the-right-way-to-have-critical-conversations-at-work","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/us\/insight\/we-need-to-talk-the-right-way-to-have-critical-conversations-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"We Need to Talk: The Right Way to Have Critical Conversations at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

We Need to Talk: The Right Way to Have Critical Conversations at Work<\/strong>
\nby Julie Turpin, Chief People Officer at Brown & Brown Insurance<\/em><\/p>\n

Does any good leader enjoy having hard conversations with their teams? Most of us don\u2019t. They are called \u201chard\u201d for a reason.<\/p>\n

Yet, does every good leader need to hone their skills at having these types of conversations? Absolutely.<\/p>\n

As human beings, we can naturally avoid conflict or awkwardness. We don\u2019t like giving bad news or hurting someone\u2019s feelings. Especially for us women, it\u2019s easy to worry about the Bitch Pitfall<\/a><\/span>, and providing honest feedback or confronting conflict head-on will mark us as \u201cdifficult\u201d to work with.<\/p>\n

I want to flip the narrative. Instead, let\u2019s think about these difficult conversations \u2014 or what I prefer to call honest conversations \u2014 as an opportunity to lead with compassion<\/a><\/span>. We show our team members respect and support when we create an open dialogue with them. Directness does not have to be harsh. It can be an act of support.<\/p>\n

The difference between a hard conversation and an honest one is in your approach. As always, I recommend leading with vulnerability<\/a><\/span>. Here are three types of conversations you\u2019ll experience as a leader and the mindset I recommend for each:<\/p>\n

1) Fostering a graceful exit.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had to dismiss team members throughout my career, and it\u2019s never an easy task. In these situations, it\u2019s important that we make the other person\u2019s experience a priority and deliver these messages with kindness and compassion. Oftentimes we encourage team members who are leaving to exit with grace, but fostering a graceful exit is also our responsibility as leaders. This includes taking steps before the exit conversation to minimize the shock, such as having regular open dialogues about performance and challenges. When a team member asks me, \u201cHow am I performing?\u201d I have to choose to answer with professional honesty, which takes bravery and vulnerability. Shying away from these honest conversations only hurts the other person more in the long term.<\/p>\n

2) Confronting tense working relationships.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all experienced that working situation with a colleague that had us questioning, Do they just not like me?<\/em> While it can be uncomfortable to confront head-on, it\u2019s often more uncomfortable to try and ignore. It all circles back to vulnerability and finding the courage to ask honest questions like, \u201cDid I do something to upset you?\u201d If your teammate is willing to be equally vulnerable, their answer could open a dialogue that leads to a better working situation.<\/p>\n