Think of a conversation with someone you’ve been putting off…. Got it…
You know you should tackle a discussion with this person, but it never quite seems the right time. Or maybe you’ve had the conversation before and it has gone badly, or maybe you fear that talking about things could make the situation worse…
So now you feel stuck…
You need to go back to the drawing board and start with these questions.
- What is your purpose for having this conversation?
- What do you hope to accomplish?
- What would be your ideal outcome?
Why would you launch into a difficult conversation without being clear on the purpose for it? If your purpose is unclear or not constructive, then no matter how you handle it, it’s going to go badly.
Your purpose is to seek out three truths.
- Their truth – learn their story
- Your truth – share your story
- The third truth – solve the problem together
“Seek first to understand, demonstrate you understand, then be understood.”
- Stephen Covey
These three truths will help you move towards resolving the issue or conflict.
To read more about the three truths and how to put them into practice click here.