It’s so tempting isn’t it? When someone hacks you off - react and tell them exactly what you think! Give them a “right mouthful” or send them that “rocket” of an email using as many expletives as you can. When you get the same back, your heart races with anger - so then you really give it to them with both barrels. No holds barred this time! The one thing you can guarantee is it won’t end well. When issues escalate and we resolve issues in mediations we often hear words such as “maybe I shouldn’t have said that” or “I didn’t really mean it to come across that way”. Once they’ve sorted things out, they then agree on how they will interact in future when they have disagreements or misunderstandings. All they needed to do a long time earlier was to have the right conversations - if only their organisations had developed the skills and confidence to help people resolve their own issues internally. If you ever want to learn these skills yourself, you have managers who avoid tough conversations, you’d like to train internal mediators, attend our webinars, or you have a dispute which needs resolving, you know where we are - just drop us a message. #communication #leadership #hr
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Commercial Leader l Launch Expert l Marketing Strategy and Communications l Market Access and Value l Patient Engagement l Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advocate
If you’re interested in sharpening your #listeningskills, try using these four techniques: (1) Listen until the end — don’t jump in or interrupt the speaker; (2) Listen to summarize the problem, not to solve it; (3) Balance your focus between building a connection with the speaker and understanding the issue they’re presenting you with; (4) Listen for #values — whether someone is ranting about something small or sharing something emotional or complex, it’s an opportunity for you to learn more about what’s important to them. Leaders who listen well create company #cultures where people feel #heard, #valued, and #engaged. In addition, employees who experience high-quality listening report greater levels of #jobsatisfaction and #psychologicalsafety.
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[Turn complaints into conversations] Have you ever found yourself complaining about a coworker at the water cooler? We have all been there. Effective leaders communicate with their teams rather than complaining about them. While venting may feel fantastic at the moment, it's like putting a band-aid on a broken arm. True growth occurs when we are willing to confront problems head-on. There could be an action plan: 1. Pause before venting 2. Identify the exact behaviour (not the person) that troubles you 3. Provide constructive comments. 3. Have the critical conversation. Every workplace conflict presents a chance to strengthen connections and improve teamwork. Direct communication is more than just professional; it's revolutionary. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 "𝘏𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴" 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳, 𝘈𝘭 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰. 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦: (𝘪) 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵; (𝘪𝘪) 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳/𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬; (𝘪𝘪𝘪) 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 (𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴); (𝘪𝘷) 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 (𝘷) 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴. #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #ProfessionalGrowth #CommunicationSkills #ConflictSolution
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Have you ever taken part in a tough conversation that made you feel uncomfortable? Or one you've tried to avoid until you had no other choice? I had one like this last week. Difficult conversations are a big part of management and leadership. Knowing how to manage effectively and constructively is a skill every manager MUST have. Delivering negative feedback, discussing underperformance, or addressing behavioral issues - those are essential for maintaining a healthy and productive work environment and crucial for the manager, the employee, and the workplace. So, how can you have those unpleasant conversations without affecting people’s motivation and spirit? Here are a few tips: ✅ Before the meeting, write down the goals, the issues, the things you want to improve, and your suggestions - plan it. ✅ Ask questions to lead the conversation before making your statements; sometimes, the solution will come naturally. ✅ Make sure you understand the goal of this conversation, including the messages you want to convey and the change you hope to achieve, with examples. ✅ Truly listen even if you disagree. ✅ Focus on the solution to create an action plan for improvement. ✅ Keep track and offer help as needed. These conversations aren’t initiated only by managers. It also happens the other way around, when employees want to share their feedback to you. All the more reason you should learn how to manage them. Tough conversations, done right, lead to transformation - growth, improvement, and trust. Do it right.
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I coach C-suite Executives to effectively lead their teams and fulfill their mission | Leadership and Executive Coaching
Here’s a scenario many leaders can relate to: You’ve got an employee who’s just not performing, despite your countless nudges and hints. You’ve tried the "nice" approach, hoping they'd pick up on the cues. But they don’t. Sound familiar? One of my clients recently found herself at this crossroads. She had to choose between: 1️⃣ Keep hinting, “being nice” and hoping things would magically change, or 2️⃣ Facing the discomfort and giving honest, unfiltered feedback. She could say nothing and avoid a difficult conversation. But she knew that staying silent wasn’t helping her, the team, or the employee. She decided to go with honesty. She approached the conversation with empathy and a straightforward message. She shared the necessary changes expected and was open about the consequences if improvements weren’t made. Not only did the employee understand the urgency, but they actually respected her for her honesty. Clear communication may feel uncomfortable, but it builds trust, accountability, and respect. What would you choose: hint and hope, or clear and kind? #coaching #employee #feedback #communication
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Tools and Strategies for Difficult Conversations about Toxic Behavior 🔧 In our previous post, we discussed the red flags that signal toxic leadership behavior and how seemingly positive traits can evolve into harmful patterns. But identifying these signals is just the first step. Having a conversation about toxic behavior requires careful preparation. Fortunately, there are various methods, tools, and strategies that can support you in this process. Below are some examples that can help you gain more insight into both the other person’s behavior and your own: 🪟Johari Window A model that promotes self-awareness and mutual understanding. By using open communication and feedback, you can learn how your behavior is perceived by others and identify any blind spots. 🔄 360° Feedback 360° feedback collects input from various individuals around the leader, such as colleagues, direct reports, and supervisors. This provides a comprehensive and objective picture of someone’s impact in the workplace. 🧍 16PF (Personality Questionnaire) The 16PF questionnaire provides insight into personality traits. This helps to understand which behavior patterns are at play and how someone is likely to respond in specific situations. 💬 Non-Violent Communication (NVC) A method focused on compassionate communication. By concentrating on feelings, needs, and observations, you can engage in difficult conversations without accusations. This approach creates a safe space for dialogue and understanding. Want to know more about how these tools can help you? Let me know, and we’ll look together at how we can apply these strategies to your specific situation. Because a well-prepared conversation is the key to lasting change! #Leadership #Feedback #Communication #TeamDevelopment #Wellbeing #ToxicBehavior #HR
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Independent Consultant | Brand Strategy & Corporate Communications | I turn complex, difficult topics into impactful conversations
Manager to employee Y during a call: We really want you to communicate empathetically and respect everyone’s time, even with tight deadlines. Employee Y: Okay, I'll work on your feedback. Employee X emails Y. Y: Thanks, I’ll reply in 24 hours. X: It’s urgent. I need a response today! Y: I really don’t think I can today, but I'll get back to you tomorrow. X: Please try for today, even if it's late. Y at 730pm: Here you go. I hope this helps you meet your deadline. A few days later, Y emails X. 2 days pass. Y: Hey, could you take a look at my email and let me know when you can respond please? No response. Y: Sorry but could you please take a look at this in the next two days. X: I can't get back to you until the end of next week, I’m busy. Y: Let’s hop on a quick call to save time. Manager to Y: X is very busy. Be more empathetic and respectful of time. Y: Favouritism noted. #Communication #Empathy #Respect #WorkplaceCulture #Feedback #Leadership
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Need a reason to address an issue(s) directly with a person? Check out this visual representation of effective conflict resolution vs avoidance...
Director Learning and Development | Learning Consultation & Strategy | Talent & Leadership Development | Experience Learning & Instructional Design
IS EVERYTHING "GOOD" IN YOUR TEAM? 🤔 - PART 1 Conflict in the workplace can have serious consequences if not addressed early. According to ACAS, out of 10 million employees who experienced conflict, nearly 900,000 took time off, 500,000 resigned, and more than 300,000 were dismissed. This highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing conflicts before they escalate. One key to success is dealing with conflicts "IN PERSON" rather than through video calls, emails, or brushing them off with a nonchalant "It's all good." Direct communication helps resolve issues more effectively and leaves everyone feeling understood and respected. Choosing direct communication in moments of tension or conflict is essential. So next time, ask yourself: IS IT 'ALL GOOD' OR ISN’T IT GOOD AT ALL? Think back to a recent conflict within your team. How did you address it, and what was the outcome? Could direct communication have led to a different result? #Leadership #ConflictResolution #Communication #BuildCulture #EmployeeWellbeing Love how this visual by @lizandmollie hits the nail on the head 🎯:
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I help you to understand Finance in a Fun way I Group Operations & Accounts In-Charge l Finance Consultant l Chegus Group l Al Trainer l Outlier l Ex-EY GDS l Educator l Business & Leadership Coach
💡 When Your Colleague Steals Your Ideas 🤯 Having a colleague take credit for your ideas can be frustrating. Here’s how to handle the situation professionally: 1. Stay Calm: Reacting emotionally can escalate the situation. Take a moment to breathe and assess the circumstances before addressing it. 🧘♂️ 2. Document Your Contributions: Keep a record of your ideas and contributions, especially in team meetings or projects. This can help you maintain credit for your work. 📝 3. Address It Directly: If you feel comfortable, have a candid conversation with your colleague. Let them know you noticed and explain how it affects you. Use “I” statements to keep the discussion productive. 🗣️ 4. Involve Leadership If Needed: If the problem persists, bring it up with a manager or HR. Frame the conversation around collaboration and fairness, rather than accusation. ⚖️ 5. Continue Sharing Ideas: Don’t let the fear of theft stop you from contributing. Stay engaged, keep sharing, and let your consistent work speak for itself. 🌟 Navigating this challenge with professionalism ensures your ideas and reputation remain strong. #WorkplaceChallenges #Teamwork #ProfessionalGrowth #ConflictResolution #Leadership #Collaboration #Ownership #Communication
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Fantastic tips from the AMAZING mediator Nickie Verheijen! Listening is key and difficult conversations are never quite as bad as you thought they’d be when you follow such great advice. #hr #leadership #difficultconversations
Director | CMC Accredited Workplace Mediator | Workplace Investigator - HR Expert and Mentor
Why are difficult conversations 'difficult'? 😐 We don't quite know what to say? 😐 We haven't had any training? 😐 Our Leadership/Manager role models didn't have this skill (perhaps our caregivers didn't either during our younger years development!?) How many times have we seen brilliant talent be promoted based on their contribution but the employer fails to invest in their people management skills?! - I've done it and I've been it in my career. What about where we have invested in training but the confidence of the manager isn't quite there because they have not been able to put the skill into practice and/or get feedback or they have had a previous bad experience, with that person or someone else or inherited a difficult team that has impacted their confidence. It is vital that employers invest in skill development with new managers to ensure they have the tools on their tool belt to navigate conversations that may be sensitive or tricky. Some tips for preparing for a conversation that may be sensitive... 😉 Pre-arrange the meeting - keep to the meeting, don't postpone or cancel it 😉 Give clear information on what you would like to talk about so that people are not on the back foot which may result in them being defensive - don't ambush them 😉 State your intention for the meeting when you start the conversation, it's not about blame or catching them out, it is about working together to find a solution to a matter/problem/concern 😉 The conversation is not personal, explain the problem, give specific examples and include behaviours and/or actions, don't confuse this with examples about their emotions or their character! 😉 LISTEN! 😉 Focus on future facing, on the outcomes, the solutions, who is going to do what 😉 FOLLOW UP - give feedback, take feedback #managers #leadership #hr #humanresources #difficultconversation #conflictmanagement #hrtips
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Director Learning and Development | Learning Consultation & Strategy | Talent & Leadership Development | Experience Learning & Instructional Design
IS EVERYTHING "GOOD" IN YOUR TEAM? 🤔 - PART 1 Conflict in the workplace can have serious consequences if not addressed early. According to ACAS, out of 10 million employees who experienced conflict, nearly 900,000 took time off, 500,000 resigned, and more than 300,000 were dismissed. This highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing conflicts before they escalate. One key to success is dealing with conflicts "IN PERSON" rather than through video calls, emails, or brushing them off with a nonchalant "It's all good." Direct communication helps resolve issues more effectively and leaves everyone feeling understood and respected. Choosing direct communication in moments of tension or conflict is essential. So next time, ask yourself: IS IT 'ALL GOOD' OR ISN’T IT GOOD AT ALL? Think back to a recent conflict within your team. How did you address it, and what was the outcome? Could direct communication have led to a different result? #Leadership #ConflictResolution #Communication #BuildCulture #EmployeeWellbeing Love how this visual by @lizandmollie hits the nail on the head 🎯:
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