Scripts for difficult conversations: Giving hard feedback, navigating defensiveness, the three questions you should end every meeting with, more | Alisa Cohn (executive coach) | Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career (private feed for websong16@gmail.com) | Podwise
Scripts for difficult conversations: Giving hard feedback, navigating defensiveness, the three questions you should end every meeting with, more | Alisa Cohn (executive coach)
This episode explores the art of conducting difficult conversations in the workplace, particularly focusing on performance feedback, promotions, and terminations. Against the backdrop of a shared experience of dreading such conversations, the interview delves into specific scripts and phrasing techniques to navigate these situations more effectively. More significantly, the discussion challenges the common misconception that a leader's primary role is to make employees happy, emphasizing instead the importance of driving results and fostering a winning culture. For instance, the guest shares a case study where an employee's emotional reaction to critical feedback ultimately led to positive career growth, highlighting the potential for positive outcomes from difficult conversations. The conversation then pivots to practical advice on improving meeting effectiveness, suggesting three key questions to ensure clear action items and information dissemination. Finally, the episode introduces the concept of a "founder prenup," a set of questions designed to align co-founders' values, visions, and conflict-resolution styles before embarking on a business venture, thereby mitigating potential future conflicts. This emphasizes the importance of proactive communication and clear expectations in building strong teams and successful businesses.
