If you are a spouse, friend or parent, chances are pretty good that you have had to engage in a courageous conversation at some point. Courageous conversations are those ones that make your stomach knot, that feel uncomfortable, but you realize are necessary for the health of your relationship.
In school settings, I find that many teachers are afflicted with CAS - Conflict Avoidance Syndrome. They avoid courageous conversations, often at huge costs to their students.
Jennifer Abrams book, "Having Hard Conversations," is filled with dozens of very specific ideas for preparing for and engaging in these tough conversations. She writes
"While we want to do what is right, we also want to have everything stay OK between us and the other person."
These competing commitments usually lead to inaction. She suggests asking ourselves
"What is stopping me from having this hard conversation?"
Depending on your answer, Abrams offers tips. My favorite is
"Give yourself a time limit for planning the conversation and a deadline for having it. Don't allow yourself to make the hard conversation more important than it needs to be."
Check out Having Hard Conversations for more words of wisdom and then go have that conversation you've been avoiding!
In school settings, I find that many teachers are afflicted with CAS - Conflict Avoidance Syndrome. They avoid courageous conversations, often at huge costs to their students.
Jennifer Abrams book, "Having Hard Conversations," is filled with dozens of very specific ideas for preparing for and engaging in these tough conversations. She writes
"While we want to do what is right, we also want to have everything stay OK between us and the other person."
These competing commitments usually lead to inaction. She suggests asking ourselves
"What is stopping me from having this hard conversation?"
Depending on your answer, Abrams offers tips. My favorite is
"Give yourself a time limit for planning the conversation and a deadline for having it. Don't allow yourself to make the hard conversation more important than it needs to be."
Check out Having Hard Conversations for more words of wisdom and then go have that conversation you've been avoiding!
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