Prepare for Confrontations - Binnendyk Coaching - Enhanced

Most people find themselves reluctant to hold conversations where they must address an issue proactively and directly. These are the ones you often dread because they have a high probability of going sideways or the stakes are high.

The sooner you find the courage to step up and hold the conversation, the better for all parties. If you speak the truth from a space of caring and consideration, you can create an opportunity for clarity, alignment, and growth.

Successful conversations with confrontation require prior preparation. As the adage goes, proper prior planning prevents piss-poor performance.

You can improve your probability of a successful outcome by writing out the key items in advance. When you write out the words, your brain processes the data differently than just rattling them around as thoughts. You will want to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. This enables you to clarify your thinking enabling you to better see gaps. It is a bit more challenging than you may expect, as most issues requiring this type of conversation are more complex than what appears on the surface. They often involve complex emotions, politics, and can have unintended consequences.

A partial list of items to consider include:

Before you begin, get clear about the business issues at stake and your desired outcome. This will keep you grounded, focused and on-track in your conversation. It will also greatly improve getting the result you want and avoid unintended consequences.

During coaching sessions, I often walk individuals through the preparation steps using a more detailed set of questions. It is very helpful to have someone help you through the process and to challenging your thinking. The process doesn’t take long, and you should consider booking some time before your next crucial conversation.

Topics individuals want coaching on span a wide range including: dealing with their reports behavior or performance, standing up to their superiors, delivering unwelcome news to customers, as well as a host of personal issues.

You can learn more on this topic in the new book, Conversations for Results: Accelerating Performance through Conversations, available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle formats. Book a 1-hour coaching session and I will walk you through the preparation steps to get a better outcome.