Three Ways to Have Confident Conversations

Honest conversations are vital for addressing challenges and driving change. Here’s how to approach them with confidence:

Tips for Courageous Conversations:

1. Know the End in Mind: Define the purpose of the conversation and the outcome you want to achieve.
2. Frame It Positively: ‘I value your work and want to discuss how we can overcome this challenge together’/’I want to work with you to see how we can be more aligned in the SLT meeting’. This is a collaborative rather than a confrontational approach.
3. Practise: You can’t write a script but can practise saying the key messages or ideas you want to share. You can also capture the questions you want to ask. (Remember, it’s a dialogue, not a monologue). This will help you be succinct, crystal-clear, focused and leaderlike. It will also help you feel more confident.

You’ll strengthen relationships, clarify expectations and build a strong reputation as an honest, empathetic solution-focused leader.

This week’s activity: If there’s a conversation you’ve been avoiding, work through the three tips above.

P.S. If you haven’t got a copy of my Confident Conversations checklist, reply to this email with the word ‘checklist’ and we’ll get a copy over to you.