How to Be Awesome at Your Job

953: How to Transform Tension into Progress amid Tough Conversations with Todd Davis

Apr 15, 2024

Todd Davis, a seasoned consultant with over 35 years in human resources, shares invaluable wisdom on navigating tough conversations. He reveals how to ease discomfort during difficult discussions and outlines a three-step approach to transform tension into progress. Todd emphasizes the critical role of empathy in building stronger relationships at work, encouraging leaders to foster trust and collaboration. He also highlights the idea that meaningful connections often outweigh material success, urging listeners to prioritize relationships in their professional lives.

44:41

Episode guests

Todd Davis

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Addressing difficult conversations with a clear purpose reduces discomfort and fosters open dialogue, helping to build stronger relationships.

Creating a culture of feedback enables teams to trust one another, enhancing performance and transforming tension into productive collaboration.

Deep dives

The Importance of Having Difficult Conversations

Many individuals avoid difficult conversations due to a fear of offending others, mistakenly thinking that this avoidance reflects consideration. However, failing to address issues can ultimately result in more significant problems and hurt feelings in the long run. This avoidance can lead individuals to feel foolish when they discover that issues have gone unaddressed for an extended period, as illustrated by a personal anecdote about how deferring feedback can damage relationships. Leaders must recognize that their intent is to help and should approach these conversations with clarity to foster open dialogue and collaboration.

Intro

3min

Navigating Tough Talks in the Workplace

14min

Navigating Collaborative Challenges

9min

Navigating Tough Workplace Conversations

11min

The Power of Empathy in Difficult Conversations

2min

Transforming Conversations for Productive Outcomes

3min

The Power of Relationships Over Material Success

4min

Todd Davis shows how to fix strained relationships and shift conversations from difficult to productive.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) How to reduce the discomfort in difficult conversations

2) The three steps to turn tension into progress

3) How to recover from worst-case scenarios

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— ABOUT TODD —

Todd Davis is a senior consultant and thought leader at FranklinCovey, and has over 35 years of experience in human resources, talent development and executive recruiting. Todd has been with FranklinCovey for 28+ years and until recently, spent 18 of those years as Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President where he was responsible for the global talent development in over 40 offices reaching 160 countries. Additionally, he authored and co-authored best-selling books including Get Better: 15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work and Everyone Deserves A Great Manager.

• Book: Get Better: 15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work

• Course: Navigating Difficult Conversations: Turn Tension Into Progress

• Website: FranklinCovey.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

• Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey

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