Having confidence as a manager gives you the ability to communicate the important messages-- the tough messages-- even when you'd rather avoid them. This article offers 5 suggestions for building the confidence you need to have tough workplace conversations more comfortably.
Those five tips were only the start. Here are five more tips for boosting your confidence as a performance manager:
1. Have the toughest conversation today. Performance conversations can be uncomfortable for everyone involved. The longer you put them off, the harder they become. Build your confidence by tackling the toughest issues today. The sooner you address a concern, the sooner the employee can begin to make adjustments.
2. Wait through the silence. In tough conversations, there's a lot going on in the minds of everyone involved. Because emotions are competing for space in the brain with facts, a little silence can provide the necessary space for everyone to think. Stop talking and wait to hear what the other person has to say. The more you hear from them, the more you'll understand and the more they'll understand.
3. Shift your focus. We often enter performance conversations with the goal of "fixing" something or someone. Many times, there is no "fix" for the issue; rather, a shift in perspective is in order. Before you enter your next performance conversation, consider these shifts: -focus on what's right, not what's wrong -focus on what you have, not what you don't have -focus on solutions, not problems
4. Ask for reassurance. Sometimes we need a little boost from one another. Ask someone close to you for some reassurance before you dive into a tough conversation. Your boss, a colleague, a representative from Human Resources--all of these individuals can be a sounding board to remind you that you are doing the right thing by having the conversation.
5. You don't have to be PERFECT all the time. Remember that the conversation is just the beginning and that you may not see dramatic changes from one exchange. Even if the conversation doesn't result in the immediate changes you envisioned, you have had an impact. Be patient and follow-up, if necessary.
Some conversations are just tough. They cause our hands to sweat, our heart to pound, and our mouth to go dry. Still, you can convey confidence and strength in your approach. It just takes a little work.
Marnie E. Green is Principal Consultant of the Chandler, AZ-based Management Education Group, Inc. Green is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps organizations develop confident leaders. Contact Green at phone: 480-705-9394 email: mgreen@managementeducationgroup.com web site: http://www.managementeducationgroup.com.
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