Three Ways To Master Uncomfortable Conversations
The success of any given individual can be determined by the number of uncomfortable and difficult conversations they can have. At some given point in your life, we have all had an uncomfortable conversation. Whether it’s a friend, a love, neighbor, or coworker, something is going to happen. Also, you will need to clear the air to make sure there are no hard feelings.
For you to be healthy and have healthy relationships, you will need to speak authentically and truthfully. The three ways to make uncomfortable conversations successful include:
- The Third-person
The very first superpower is being able to tell a story in the third-person. An account given in or by the third-person is the kind of story impartial observers tend to show. Having to imagine as a third person may be unfamiliar to many people, especially in the beginning.
The best way to go about it would be to start by writing down the story. By writing in the third-person, you not only have space to see things in a broader view, but you will also be able to express your story more objectively.
- Listen intently
The next way to master uncomfortable conversations is by listening intently. Listening with intent gives you the ability to read minds. A common framework (SOAR) used to achieve this includes;
- Make Space
- Always Observe and validate
- Ask
- Always Repeat and confirm
Always give the other person or people a chance to speak. Listen not so that you can provide a response, but listen to understand what the other person is trying to say. Doing this shows that you are empathetic, but it is also a way of showing that you respect their opinions and care for what they want to say.
- Always speak with clarity.
Lastly, you need to be able to state your story or stories assertively. It would be best if you did this without you getting defensive or aggressive. When you speak with clarity, you can start influencing your listener or listeners.
You can always lead a team whenever you speak with clarity. However, the most critical thing that you need to keep in mind is that most people prefer being around individuals who speak their minds. People tend to be more confident with such individuals.
If you end up bottling feelings, thoughts, and emotions, the only thing that you are doing is damaging your relationship.
Conclusion
When you have the proper skills to master uncomfortable conversations, you should be able to negotiate, influence, and lead quickly. You can also end up being a productive and successful manager if you take the time to master the above skills.
You should be able to efficiently work through all the three layers that difficult conversations tend to subject you to. These include what exactly happened, the feelings of both parties, and identity. Being able to master difficult conversations can give you superpowers in product management. Make sure that you make use of these skills wisely.