Rex Jones, Owner of On Demand HR, discussed how managers can better equip themselves to handle challenging conversations and achieve a successful outcome for themselves and their team.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE PRESENTATION:
- For employers, difficult conversations can range across a variety of topics but are most commonly those focused on terminations and layoffs, performance reviews, hygiene or dress code issues, and changes in office protocol.
- These types of conversations typically make people uncomfortable for different reasons. These include (but are not limited to) the fear of others’ emotional responses, the desire to avoid conflict, or the fact that they may not be personally aligned with the message they are relaying.
- Preparation is key! Prepare for the conversation by having all the information on hand.
- Know if the discussion will be a surprise for the other person and plan for their reaction. Make sure you’ve done your research so you are not surprised by information that could make you doubt your decision.
- Prepare with talking points planned for the discussion – when possible, “rip off the band-aid” and introduce the uncomfortable topic at the start.
- “Role play” with your HR person or a peer leader so you can practice what you’ll say and can plan for multiple reactions.
- Plan to have the conversation at an appropriate time and setting; take into consideration that many people are currently working from home and may not have privacy for these types of discussions.
- While preparing before the conversation is helpful, make sure to stick to your game plan when executing the conversation.
- It’s important to include a 3rd party in these conversations, not only as a witness, but also to keep the conversation on track.
- While it may serve you to show compassion towards someone’s reaction, avoid sympathizing or empathizing with them to not diminish your control over the discussion.
- It is helpful to acknowledge the other person’s feelings using language that will make them feel seen or heard (“I can see you’re feeling…”), but it’s important not to let them take control of the meeting.
- Listen, but do not let the other person divert attention to other issues.
- For conversations that are uncomfortable because of personal alignment issues, it is crucial that you do not blame leadership or the organization. Discuss your feelings with your leadership team and get clarity on how you should relay the message. In the end, it is important not to deflect blame as this will weaken your leadership with your employees.
Rex Jones is an accomplished HR professional with over 30 years in the Human Resources field across a variety of companies and industries. His experience as an HR Director in multiple Fortune 200 companies and industries includes work in manufacturing, call centers, sales teams, and support staff across the consumer products, energy, and small business services industries. He has a passion for working with business leaders to deliver outstanding success for the organization through the practice of ethical leadership. Rex understands the complexities of running a business to achieve maximum results and creates HR strategies to enable the business to reach its objectives while maintaining a high level of employee satisfaction. Connect with Rex on LinkedIn today.