Part and parcel of owning or running a business with members of staff is having to have difficult conversations. The topic of the conversation will vary depending on the particular situation that needs addressed – perhaps their performance is not as good as you would expect or they seem to have been taking a significant number of days off. Whatever the reason, having any discussion of this nature may be uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, if such a conversation is required, making sure it is handled correctly will help to ensure things run as smoothly as possible, both throughout and after it has taken place. It is also important to remember that after talking, you will want to maintain the working relationship, so tact and sensitivity is often key.
The time to have the discussion should also be considered. Within a few days of the situation arising is always best, ensuring it is fresh in both of your minds… but be sure not to arrange a meeting should emotions be raw or heightened. Having a conversation whilst angry is never advisable under normal circumstances, and the same applies when it comes to work.
It is also a good idea to be clear in your mind as to what the conversation is going to be about, to allow the problem at hand to be discussed and a solution implemented. Additionally, having a good understanding of the staff member in question is helpful – are they usually “repeat offenders”, in so far as there have been multiple incidents involving them, or is this their first time? Everyone is different, and as such the approach to any difficult conversation should also differ – and don’t forget, what is deemed difficult for one person may not be for another.
We’ve put together some of our top tips to help you approach any difficult discussion with confidence, awareness, and discretion. Read on for more:
- Understanding the situation should be the focal point of any discussion. That means you should make sure you talk about the problem at hand, rather than making it about the employee. This could result in the individual in question becoming defensive and prevent an acceptable resolution from being reached.
- At the offset, make it clear what the purpose of the discussion is and what the issues are you want to talk about. Approach things in an objective manner and listen and acknowledge what the employee is saying.
- Try to decide on a course of action for moving forward to allow a timely and satisfactory resolution. Deciding on what this looks like together is a good way to maximise the chances of success.
- Be aware of when the conversation has ended. This could mean reaching a mutual resolution or alternatively, recognising that an impasse has been reached and thus moving on to implementing a potentially more formal procedure.
Finally, once a discussion has been had, keeping an eye on things afterwards can allow you to offer any support should it be required or positively praise the employee if progress has been made. For more information on how reward and recognition can be used in the workplace, click here.
If you’re concerned about the behaviour of an employee or feel a difficult conversation needs to be had (and you’re not sure how to go about it), feel free to get in touch with us at AvloHR.
