Conversations

A Workshop to train you how to talk with others about awkward and difficult topics in ways that gain their cooperation and reduce stress and anxiety for you. Designed for Managers, Supervisors, Team Leaders, and others in Leadership Positions

Managers and supervisors face many challenges, but few are as unwelcome and emotionally charged as the difficult and awkward conversations we must have with co-workers and employees who require re-direction, correction or firm confrontation about the quality of their work or their behavior on the job. In addition, sometimes you have to address problems in your working relationship with your own manager or supervisor.

Much of effective management is good communication -- setting expectations, assigning work, giving performance feedback, delegating, recognizing good work, administering reviews, reprimanding, career counseling and more. Each of these management functions requires us to communicate with precision and honesty and to do so in such a way that others can clearly understand without feeling defensive or attacked, especially if what we are communicating includes something negative.

Most of our work is done through conversations. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we participate and sometimes we facilitate conversations. None are easy but some are just plain hard. Our focus in this workshop is on these “hard” conversations. In addition to ‘what to say’ in these difficult conversations we will also discuss the issues you must take into account and provide a model for each type of conversation. We will also emphasize relevant skill building for each.

Among the problems we have addressed in recent programs are…
--an employee’s failure to complete work in a timely manner
--lack of initiative
--criticism or antagonism directed at co-workers
--reluctance to take advice and direction
--a person’s work is unsatisfactory, but the employee doesn’t agree there is a problem
--employees who allow distractions, such as a problem at home, to interfere with work without discussing such matters with a supervisor or manager
--your manager’s behavior sometimes undermines you with your employees
--maintaining team morale when so much of the news is negative
--keeping employees motivated while explaining there will not be any cost of living or merit increases--AGAIN

What can you say or do that will be most effective in resolving problems like these? How do you best deal with resistance and defensiveness? How can you be direct and appropriately firm, but remain supportive and motivate your employees at the same time?

In addition we will address how to discuss…

With Employees:
• What is holding this person back
• This person has probably reached their highest level on the career ladder
• We want the employee to take on more work
• This person is behaving subversively to the team or the organization

With the Team:
• Team members who are not working effectively together
• Members who are critical of each other and undermine others
• A culture of ‘recreational complaining exists on the team
• Some team members are ostracized because of differences

With Your Manager:

• Advocating for more resources for your team/department
• Work requirements that do not add value or are redundant
• Requests for a specific type of support from her/him