Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE 

Are you a law firm owner who avoids having tough conversations? In this podcast episode, Jim Hacking and Tyson Mutrux engage in a candid discussion about the challenges of having difficult conversations. They share personal experiences and struggles, and talk about ways to overcome fears of handling tough conversations in the workplace.

Having tough conversations in the workplace is an unavoidable thing, especially if you are a business owner or have a team of employees that you oversee. Jim and Tyson talk about where the fear stems from. For Jim, it stems from the need to control the outcome of a particular situation. If you say something in a certain way, you may be able to control the outcome. But, in reality sometimes things just need to be said in order to not let situations get out of hand. For Tyson, he struggles with sugar coating conversations and not truly letting someone know how he is feeling. This can lead to conversations that never amount to anything significant.

Jim and Tyson share a few ways to approach difficult conversations so you don’t avoid them. One thing to do is try to see things from the other person’s perspective. For example, if an employee did something that you do not like, try to understand why they may have done it to begin with. Maybe they made a decision based on a lack of training or they did not have the adequate resources to do their job.

Take a listen to learn more!

05:01 The challenges and personal experiences with difficult conversations in the workplace

06:14 Exploration of the fear and control associated with having difficult conversations

10:17 Emotional regulation and self-reflection during difficult conversations

13:20 The middle path in handling difficult conversations

14:17 Importance of considering different perspectives during difficult conversations

18:05 Strategies for dealing with dishonesty during difficult conversations

20:04 Importance of active listening and follow-up questions 

23:10 Using a technique to identify and address emotions before engaging in challenging discussions

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.