Strategies for Tough Conversations

Mitch Matthews offers a proven 4-step process for navigating tough conversations.  After listening, you’ll be able to prepare for the interaction, engage with confidence, clarify the problem and the solution as well as deliver results.    Listen To The Podcast:                         It happens to all of us. Whether it’s navigating a stressful situation with a co-worker, dealing with a challenging client, clarifying things with a roommate or addressing hurt feelings with a family member…  difficult conversations happen to all of us. So… are you ready? In this DREAM THINK DO episode, I give you a four-step process.  (click here) It will help you to navigate tough conversations… and do it with more confidence and peace of mind too! (Plus, I offer an embarrassing story that reinforces I need these strategies too!)  I’ve trained thousands of people on these concepts.   They’ve told me this stuff works in the real world. Listen in and learn the strategies you need so you’re ready for “that” conversation! Then… leave a comment on which concept stands out to you.  What are you going to try differently the next time you navigate a tough conversation?  I’d love to hear from YOU! Keep bringing your awesome, Mitch   Here’s the show notes from this week: Summary Having a difficult conversation at work or with family is tough. Period. Yet, Mitch Matthews gives out a valuable tool to help: a simple 4 step process that can empower you to handle these difficult conversations with more confidence and skill. He’s trained hundreds of leaders to use this process. At the same time, Mitch candidly reveals that he needs to learn this process on a daily basis, just like the rest of us.   Time-Stamped Show Notes [00:00] Deep dive day: Strategies for handling difficult conversations. [04:02] Use this cheat sheet: Difficult Convos: Engaging, Clarifying, and Delivering. [05:21] What about navigating difficult conversations? [07:51] I’ve trained hundreds if not thousands of leaders to use this 4 step process.   [09:40] The 4 step process for navigating difficult conversations. [10:22] Keeping combat mentality the enemy. [15:23] How do I stay out of fight or flight mode? [17:50] Step 1: Preparing to engage. [22:45] Steps 2 - 4: How Mitch’s business partner David used the 4 step process to successfully navigate a tense conversation. [34:08] Pick one step at a time to work on. [36:11] These strategies can help in any difficult conversation you’re having. [38:10] Share this episode with someone who might need it and go to itunes and leave a review. Deep Dive with Mitch Matthews: Strategies for Navigating Difficult Conversations Deep dive day: Strategies for handling difficult conversations This is a big topic that Mitch gets questions for all the time. He also invites podcast listeners to send him more ideas: “If you have a subject you’d like to hear about then hit me up on Twitter at @mitchmatthews or shoot me an email direct: mitch@mitchmatthews.com. I love hearing from you.” This is an important topic to discuss because “[n]avigating our work, navigating family...there’s just times where we have to step into difficult conversations. And if we have some tools that equip us to do that, that give us more confidence to do that, then we can handle that a whole lot better.” Mitch covers this subject again because after the recent podcast interview with Matt Bodnar on negotiation strategies, it brought up the need to learn about specific strategies to help navigate difficult conversations. What about navigating difficult conversations? Mitch acknowledges that sometimes pursuing bigger dreams, thinking better or doing more can make other people uncomfortable: “Maybe it stretches you, or changes things with your schedule or your priorities and you have to navigate some difficult conversations.” Growth involves risk at times,