Imagine that you are driving down the highway and you see a big accident up ahead. Your first instinct is try to get off the road and find a different way to get to your destination isn’t it? So you most likely choose that option because it means that you will get to keep moving forward instead of just sitting in traffic and not getting anywhere. However, you have no idea that the path that you chose is going to take you an hour longer than if you had just stayed where you were.
Compare that situation to a difficult conversation that you need to have. You may try to do things to avoid it so you don’t feel uncomfortable. Just like trying to take an alternate route, sometimes it only delays the inevitable. You are still going to have to talk to the person eventually and the longer you delay the more challenging it becomes.
Most of the time the anticipation of having the conversation is way worse than the actual conversation itself. Just like sitting in traffic, you just need to have the patience to wait, plan out your conversation, go forward and make it happen. The only way to get through difficult conversations is not going around it, but going through it. You will be able to both move forward and reach a great outcome!
Have you heard about the Women’s Leadership Retreat that I am hosting in April? There are only two spots left! Reach out to me and get more information so you can join us!