Episode: 436

Episode Title: When You Have to Have a Tough Conversation

I just love tough conversations at work—said no one, ever. And when we’re working remotely, they can be even harder. Let’s talk about it, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 436 show:

Hello! I’m your host Mark Perna—welcome to a new week on The Perna Syndicate! We’ve all had tough conversations at home, school, or work—conversations that we would much rather avoid if we could. And they’re even harder to do through a screen on a video meeting, aren’t they?

This week, we’re going to cover some tips for those times when a tough conversation, that you have to do remotely, is unavoidable. Of course, you may not have any tough conversations on your horizon right now—and that’s great. Listen in, because what I’m about to share is for you. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The best time to eliminate the need for future tough conversations is right now. We all need to be proactive about regular discussion, feedback, and—most of all—relationship.

Tough conversations that produce the desired effect, end on a positive note, and help the other person make the needed adjustments, can only happen in the context of relationship. And relationship is built with trust over time. 

If there are no hard conversations looming in your future, that’s fantastic. Take this time to invest in the people you engage with on a daily basis at school or work. Build those relationships. Then if an issue does arise, you have a great foundation to be honest, open and positive about it. Nobody enjoys a tough conversation, but in the context of a good relationship, they can be a lot better.

Tomorrow: what are the warning signs that you might need to bring up an uncomfortable topic with someone? We’ll talk about that and more on the next episode of The Perna Syndicate. See you then!