{"id":12557,"date":"2021-11-13T11:15:25","date_gmt":"2021-11-13T16:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/?p=12557"},"modified":"2021-12-07T00:57:08","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T05:57:08","slug":"difficult-conversations-from-painful-to-productive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/blog\/difficult-conversations-from-painful-to-productive\/","title":{"rendered":"Difficult Conversations: From Painful to Productive (Part 3 of 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"co-workers<\/a>In Parts One<\/a> and Two<\/a> of this blog series, I wrote about how conflict avoidance seems to be the most common\u2014but also the most ineffective\u2014strategy for handling difficult conversations.<\/p>\n

Not only is conflict avoidance an ineffective strategy, but putting off difficult conversations (including delivering feedback) frequently sees relatively minor, easily rectified issues linger and escalate to the point where workplaces can become toxic<\/a>, reputations are harmed, and people outright quit<\/a> their jobs.<\/p>\n

Countless business\/organizational failures are the result of avoiding difficult conversations because people were afraid to raise contentious issues until it was too late.<\/p>\n

Understandably, many equate a difficult conversation with an argument, and we immediately envision the worst-case scenario – a highly emotional confrontation fueled by anger, frustration and raised voices, resulting in nothing more than lingering resentment and repercussions and a situation where there\u2019s a perception of a winner or a loser. But let\u2019s face it, the more contentious it is, the more likely everyone loses in some way.<\/p>\n

But when we approach difficult conversations as opportunities for constructive debate, we set ourselves up for outcomes that are actually productive and rewarding for everyone. The classic win-win<\/em> situation!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I had a conversation recently with someone who recommended a framework for handling challenging conversations from The Center for Creative Leadership. It\u2019s called the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) Model<\/a>. I\u2019ve used some other models and techniques over the years, but I like the simplicity of the SBI approach and how it applies to many workplace situations.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The SBI Model gives us a framework for giving feedback, so we can stay focused and avoid being judgmental. It makes us pause and ask questions before we fill in the blanks or make assumptions about the person or situation. We have to be careful NOT to jump to conclusions based on our past experiences in similar situations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Overview of the SBI Model:<\/strong><\/p>\n