Introducing "Food for Thought" #62. The formula is simple: three short messages once a week to feed your mind.
Management
How do you defuse the famous elephant in the room?
This elephant is there, palpable, you can feel it, but nobody dares to talk about it. The situation weighs heavily on you, and you feel sick to your stomach just thinking about it. No matter what this elephant means to you, waiting for the situation to improve on its own is the biggest organizational trap of all.
Here are a few tips for taking action:
-
Adopt the right mental posture: Good intentions prevent you from becoming defensive. - Be prepared: Like an athlete before a competition, get ready.
- Change your perspective: Think of feedback as a conversation, even a gift.
- Get straight to the point: Sometimes all it takes is two minutes of courage to say the important things.
- Be clear: Avoid detours that could confuse or dilute your message. Forget the feedback sandwich(here's why we no longer believe in this 50s technique).
- Express your feelings and needs: Use "I" to avoid accusations and be clear in your communications.
- Accept your vulnerability:Being courageous means "flirting" with vulnerability, feeling both brave and afraid.
- Conclude tactfully: Know how to "pass the axe" delicately and conclude the conversation when the time is right.
Conversation
A tool for your next courageous conversation
A little preparation goes a long way. Visit a conversation guide to defuse your next elephant. Good luck!
Feedback
Feedback is a muscle
With any training, the muscle grows and the comfort zone expands. Here's a great way to train for feedback: the feedback training center by our friend Sophie Gadoury. We have no commercial affiliation with Sophie; we simply believe that her center contributes to bringing more love and humanity into organizations. ❤️
We close this week with a quote from Tim Ferriss: "A person's success correlates to the number of courageous conversations they are willing to have."
