Difficult Conversations: 5 Tips on How to do the Right Thing

Most people know that one of the major roadblocks to healthy relationships – professional and otherwise – lies in avoiding tough conversations. When managing a team or a trying to execute a project, the detriments can be far-ranging and involve a lot more than just personal discomfort.

Paul Pantzer, a senior consultant in program management at Molecular, wrote an insightful and helpful article on the topic and how to go about weighing the trade-offs between doing nothing and risking an awkward exchange.

Here’s a quick summary of his 5 tips:

1. Identify the 1 or 2 top topics you’re avoiding
2. Identify why you’re avoiding them
3. Consider the result of doing nothing
4. If the “do nothing” risk outweighs the reason for avoiding the topic, schedule a conversation to address the issue
5. Before tackling the conversation, acknowledge that it is a difficult one and try to explain why

The full article is definitely worth the read. You can find it here on the Projects@Work site, a good source for news and best practices in project management.

Enjoy!