307. Courage to Be Straightforward and Have Difficult Conversations
Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of our 5-part mini-series about Having Courage, we focus on the ability to have a straightforward conversation. What do you do when you inherit a difficult relationship you didn’t create - but it’s now yours to rebuild? Our first letter from the SFAC Postbag comes from a listener who has taken responsibility for an area with some tricky stakeholder history. They weren’t responsible for what happened, but they’re worried they’ll be seen as part of the problem before they’ve even opened their mouth. So how do you acknowledge what’s gone before without taking responsibility for something that wasn’t yours? In this episode, we explore the courage it takes to be straightforward when a conversation feels uncomfortable. From addressing the elephant in the room and resisting the urge to over-explain or apologise, to starting with curiosity and focusing on what happens next, we share practical ways to approach difficult conversations with clarity, confidence and care. Because sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is simply say the thing that needs saying. Our call to action: acknowledge to yourself the risk of never having the conversation at all. In this episode you’ll learn: How to approach a difficult stakeholder relationship How to acknowledge previous problems without taking responsibility for them How to start a difficult conversation How to communicate directly without becoming confrontational How to begin rebuilding trust at work
