While technology allows us to connect with people we might not otherwise be able to and do so with ease, it has actually hurt our ability to communicate.

How many people do you know that have had a relationship end via text or been let go from a company through an email?

When people are afraid of having what they think will be a difficult conversation they turn to email or texting to handle that conversation for them.

BIG Mistake!

Handling conversations that way creates more room for miscommunication rather than less. So, what they were hoping would be resolved by an online will now move offline and 90% of the time will not be a pleasant conversation.

The shame of it all is that it may not have been a difficult conversation but because of the way it was handled it is now.

Here are some tips to create the space for differing opinions, respect and ease to turn what could be a difficult conversation into a meaningful one.

• Have clarity of purpose/goal in your communication. Winging it is not a strategy for success, preparation is. When you are clear, it is more likely that the person you are speaking with will be as well.
  
  
• Establish rapport. This is what sets the tone for the meeting. Let them know your intention and the constructive outcome you want or want for them by the end of the meeting. When you do this they are more open to hearing you.
  
  
• Come from respect, for them, the situation, and how this will impact them. Creating room for both points of view on the topic.
  
  
• Listen with a detective’s ear rather than thinking about how you are going to respond. Really listen, take in what they are saying both verbally and nonverbally. Give them space to speak and find their way in the conversation.
  
  
• Be more committed to the outcome than you are to being right. It is easy to lose sight of the outcome of the meeting through the many twists and turns it will take. What you are doing is for the benefit of your relationship, the individual, company, department...let that be your motivator