Talking Straight 2-part series
Master the art of delivering difficult news with honesty, empathy, and impact.
Course Overview:
Do you sometimes find yourself in a position where you must deliver a message that you are worried won’t be received well by others with whom you work? Are you dreading being the bearer of “bad news”?
We often worry about conversations where we must deliver some tough news that others will perceive as Bad News. It might involve an impending organizational change, reduced resources, or a performance issue on a project. In reality, most bad news is not news; the rumor mill in organizations works very efficiently; the person has most likely sensed something is going on. However, until people are confronted by the direct impact of the news for themselves, they may believe that exceptions will be made or that there is still time to stop or reverse it.
Although it may seem uncomfortable to the messenger, it’s necessary for most of us to first experience the bad part of the news before we can move to acceptance and possibly see the part that might be beneficial. As messengers of the difficult communication, we may wish to manage the negative reaction as quickly as possible and move on to the positive, thus tending to ignore or deny the other’s feelings of fear, loss, and/or sadness. We may sugarcoat and soften the message or even exaggerate the effect. Straight talk is respectful of the other person and provides the other person with important information. It is realistic and supportive at the same time, facilitating the other in taking action. In this session, we focus on the skills for delivering difficult information and on responding to the receiver in a constructive way. We practice a process for helping others hear, deal with, and respond to information that they may perceive negatively.
This course has prework that you will receive in your inbox within two weeks of the course date.
Course Fee: $150