Posted in Business, communication on Aug 10th, 2010
Email provides very little in the way of emotional content. The “tone” and “body language” that is in an email – if any – is usually seen in the eyes of the receiver and is often misinterpreted. The key here is that when you send an email, you don’t get to see the person’s reaction when they read the message. Sure, they may send you a reply, but it is often filtered and you may miss key messages that you would have heard or seen had you communicated in person , by phone or via an electronic medium such a Skype. The feedback you get when you see or hear a reaction can be invaluable.
Read Full Post »
On a personal level, I would like to think that I am open to hearing the view of others because they can enrich our own thoughts and beliefs and may result in a change in perspective that emerges from a deeper understanding of the topic of discussion.
Read Full Post »
Posted in Business, HR, Human Resources on Mar 23rd, 2010
Through my work helping organizations to tackle their “people issues”, it seems that a common thread running through many of the issues is the concept of accountability. When something doesn’t go as planned, the reactions of people involved often focus on ensuring that everyone else knows that it wasn’t their fault. This reaction could have many explanations: past punishment for having a part in a negative outcome; a person’s self-esteem could be at risk by admitting imperfections; perceived negative consequences related to ownership of the outcome of a situation; and the list goes on.
Read Full Post »
Posted in Business, HR, Human Resources on Mar 9th, 2010
Difficult Dialogue is . . . difficult! It is often very hard for both parties to “jump in” to tough conversations. Knowing this gives you the opportunity to acknowledge the dynamics that are at play. If a boss or a key client has changed their position on an issue because of your conversation – let them know how much you respect them for being open to a different way of thinking.
Read Full Post »
Posted in Business, HR, Human Resources on Mar 2nd, 2010
Once you have made it through Be READY, Get SET, you are ready to GO into a difficult dialogue. A key part of staying in dialogue is reducing feelings of vulnerability – for both parties. This means that you want to focus on building and maintaining a “WARM CLIMATE”.
Read Full Post »
Posted in Business, HR, Human Resources on Feb 2nd, 2010
If you have a difficult situation you need to address, think about the facts that you are aware of and the assumptions you are making with respect to the facts. Can you confirm your assumptions? If not, can you get more information before you initiate a difficult conversation?
Being open with yourself and with the other person will be very helpful in managing a difficult conversation and in building trust. If you don’t feel you can be open, maybe that’s what you should be talking about!
Read Full Post »
Posted in Business, HR, Human Resources on Jan 26th, 2010
Once you have determined what you want (and what you don’t want) the next step is to identify what you have in common with the person you are in dialogue with. If there is no common ground – there is little basis for a relationship.
Read Full Post »
Posted in Business, HR, Human Resources on Jan 19th, 2010
Once you know you are going to have a difficult dialogue, you need to engage in preparation. There is an old cliché that states “those who fail to plan, plan to fail”. As strange as it may sound, you should take time to prepare for confrontation. Top negotiators know that when entering into a set of negotiations, it is very important to “do your homework”. So, what should you start with when getting SET for difficult dialogue?
Read Full Post »
Posted in Business, HR, Human Resources on Jan 12th, 2010
Many people do not feel comfortable handling situations involving conflict, confrontation and difficult dialogue. Much of this is due to our lack of understanding about what it takes to do it well and our inability to draw on what we do know when we are emotionally challenged. I contend that there are three basic steps involved in mastering difficult dialogue – Be READY, Get SET, GO. These steps are quite simple but they are not necessarily easy. In this and upcoming posts, we will take a look at how to: Be READY, Get SET and GO. Of course the real value is in learning how to apply these steps in real time and that takes coaching and practice.
Read Full Post »
Posted in Business, HR, Human Resources on Dec 10th, 2009
Managing Difficult Dialogue Hi. My name is Dave Town. Welcome to my blog! I have a consulting practice specializing in HR Services–particularly leadership development, mastering difficult dialogue, strategic human resource management and providing senior HR expertise to smaller companies that don’t need a full-time senior HR role. I have been managing my own consulting practice [...]
Read Full Post »
