Ultimately, your goal is for them to walk away motivated to improve, not scared of retribution.Īfter the initial conversation is over, ensure you readdress with the individual after the right amount of time has passed. Make the conversation an open dialogue, not a one-sided presentation.

It is your task to not only address negative behavior but also pave a path of development with the tools and resources they can use to improve. Negative approaches are often met with defensive and argumentative responses. Regardless of the negative topic, always set an optimistic and positive tone for the interaction. These explanations often pave the path to how you ended up where you are and will create a course for improvement. While as a leader you should discourage excuses, it is critical to understand explanations along the path to performance. These goals represent a picture of success that can help determine a corrective path. When presenting details of the behavior or performance in question, use factual data to avoid disagreements, and set clear, measurable and achievable goals to guide future behavior. Don’t bend standards to avoid a courageous conversation. Consistency allows for factual measurement, creates accountability, maintains your message and establishes your reputation. This means holding high- and low-performers to the same standards. Remember, you are working toward a solution together, so concentrate and reflect on the way the person feels.Ĭonsistently lead your team. Throughout the conversation, ensure your demeanor encourages discussion, not an interrogation. Ask open-ended questions during the discussion, and reserve final judgment until after you have all the facts. Reflect on your attitude toward the person involved and the situation itself, as your mindset will drive your demeanor and reactions. Let your team know you care by showing an interest in them as individuals, including their performance, life, dreams and potential. This might mean knowing childrens' names for some or that others enjoy flying. The more prepared you are for the conversation, the smoother it will flow.Īs a leader, it's important to know your team. Let the individual know your intention so they don’t feel blindsided, which drives defensiveness and anger. Pick a location appropriate to the situation. Rehearse opening movements so they naturally flow. The tone of any interaction is set in the opening seconds. Realize that emotions manifest not only in your words but also in the tone of your voice, the expressions on your face and the language of your body.

Deliberately think about the emotional mindset you need to lead a calm, productive conversation. As a leader, you are a coach who must embrace each employee and equip them with the necessary tools and techniques to be successful.

To do this, ask yourself how you as a leader contributed to the situation? How did your organization fail to empower them for success?Įach person and situation are unique. To emerge closer as a team, you must care about understanding why the person is acting a certain way. If your employees don't trust you, you are merely their manager - and not their leader. Consider the situation from the other’s shoes.Īs in most aspects of leadership, empathy is critical in courageous conversations - it helps build trust. This way, you know exactly what your goal is before heading into the discussion.Ĥ. Like a military operation, success must be defined before undertaking action. Understand the objective of the courageous conversation If you are willing to own that your leadership inaction contributed to the resulting outcome.ģ.The consequences of not having a courageous conversation.When considering a courageous conversation, a leader must define the bias for action - or accept the results of inaction. Choose whether to have a courageous conversation. Did the individual make an incorrect decision?Ģ.

Courageous conversations austin