One thing you can do to make difficult conversations go better

Want to talk to someone about something difficult?

Here's one thing to do differently:

💡 Start the conversation with what you saw – not how you judged what you saw.

Instead of:

❌ “You never listen to my ideas.”

Try:

✅ “In our last two planning meetings, I suggested a direction and didn’t hear you respond or acknowledge it.”

Instead of:

❌ “Your tone was unprofessional.”

Try:

✅ “I heard you say, ‘This is a mess,’ in front of the client – for me, it sounded sharp and unexpected.”

When you lead with an evaluation, you trigger defensiveness.

When you lead with a clear observation, you open the door.

💬 You can name anything you want to – just do it in a way that makes it more likely to be heard.

🛑 And if you can’t – because the judgment is too strong right now – pause.

🤔 Consider: what needs of yours might need some care before you step into the conversation?

💭 What's one conversation you've been avoiding? 

💭 How might you start it so you're more likely to get the outcome you want?