Transcript
A (0:07)
We've talked before about how to have hard conversations as a leader, but not every tough talk is the same. So today we're breaking down the five types of hard conversations you'll face and how to approach each one with clarity and confidence. Because when you know which type of conversation to have and when, it helps you communicate the problem clearly. Keep your team on the same page and make those tough moments a lot more productive. Ramsey's Chief Technology officer, Brendan Wojko joins Entree Leadership's John Felkins to share some practical ways to handle these moments well so you can lead your team forward instead of avoiding the tension.
B (0:51)
So, Brendan, we've talked a lot about how to have a difficult conversation, and we've got resources on that. So if people want that, they can. They can click the link in the show notes. But today we really want to get into the different types of difficult conversations. So could you help us unpack what those different types are?
C (1:08)
Yeah. Yeah. Usually when people ask me about uncomfortable conversations, all about, like, how to have them, like, how to, you know, how to have a successful uncomfortable conversation. And the reality is, is that there's not just one. What I found is there's five distinct kind of uncomfortable conversations. The first one is what we call first contact. The first time you actually address a problem with someone. Right. And in that conversation, like, I mean, the biggest thing is just to make sure that you really clearly state the problem in a way that they understand what the problem is.
B (1:35)
Okay.
C (1:35)
You know, I always joke around and say, like, your articulation of the problem should be so clear. Like, your fourth grade, you know, English teacher should be proud of you.
B (1:42)
You know, the reading level should be a low number.
C (1:45)
The reading level should be low, and the statement should be really short.
B (1:49)
Okay.
C (1:49)
And it should be about observed behavior. Like, John, I see that you've been showing up late to work, and that's not. Okay.
B (1:56)
Yeah. This is getting personal fast, right?
C (1:58)
Yeah. I mean, it's. You want to be really clear on the. And the second part of it, you want to make sure that they're really clear about the process you're going to walk out next. Okay. Because you're typically not having uncomfortable conversations the right way. When you sit down with somebody and you kind of like, swoop and poop. Like, if, if you, you know, if you swoop into the situation, you kind of drop a problem on their lap and then you're gone. That's not a productive, uncomfortable conversation because the. The person, if they just become problem aware, it doesn't mean that they know what to do. It doesn't mean that they're going to get the coaching they need. It doesn't mean that the problem's actually going to get fixed. All it means is you dropped a 10, 10 ton, you know, concrete block on them, which is you got a problem. And so in that first contact conversation, we want to make sure that we really clarify the problem and we want to help them understand, like, what happens next. Okay. And usually in that conversation, I'll. I'll say to people, like, listen, we're. We're going to walk through a series of like, coaching conversations. Because it's great that in this conversation, this first contact conversation, that we've made the problem clear.