Preparing for high-impact conversations
Have you ever walked out of a meeting and thought?
- That conversation did not go as well as I would have liked
- I am confused, did they actually understand what I was proposing?
- How did that conversation go so wrong?
These scenarios happen all too often in our busy lives. We believe we are about to seal a deal, make a sale or address non-performance, and the conversation goes wrong.
When you reflect on the conversation afterwards, most of the time we are unsure what actually went wrong. You might see the outcome as negative compared to what you expected, while the other person may see things differently. This demonstrates how perception can cloud our view of success.
So how do we change our perception of situations and engage in high-impact conversations that create a win-win outcome for everyone involved?
It all comes down to preparation.Let’s look at what you need to think about.
Before the conversation
What do you personally want?
- For yourself
- For others
- For the relationship
- How will you achieve this outcome?
Having the conversation
State your path.
- Share the facts
- Tell your story
- Ask for the other person's story
- Talk tentatively
- Encourage input
Moving to action
- Paraphrase the conversation to confirm, clarify and agree next steps
- Decide how you will move forward
- Document decisions and actions
Use this framework to prepare, engage in the conversation and agree actions. It is also important to consider your emotional preparation.
- How will you emotionally prepare yourself?
- Do you have any unconscious biases towards the person and how might these influence your perspective?
- How emotionally prepared do you think they are for this conversation?
- What is their preferred communication style?
If you are keen to test this model and further build your awareness of others when having challenging conversations, register for our upcoming Communication Styles webinars.
