If it truly maters to you…..
So you have a conversation on your mind/calendar, the outcome of which can potentially impact you tangibly.
Or you wish to have a conversation because it truly matters to you, impacts you personally or professionally.
Some of us strategise these conversations, plan for them and actually have parts of them over a period of time. As you can imagine this approach requires prior thinking, a lot of reflection, future thinking in order to establish a path for these conversations and making a few tweaks along the way.
How do you qualify a conversation as high stakes ?
- It matters to you
- It makes a tangible difference to you in the long/short term
The examples could be:
- There’s been a change in your role structure, your team has been made redundant and your role has become of an individual contributor ;
- Your manager has cancelled your one-on-ones the last 3 times and you’ve not received a feedback from your manager in almost a quarter
- You were hoping to be promoted after your last performance review and you’ve not heard from your manager about it so far and it’s a overdue
- You do not have clarity about the value your role brings to the table. You’ve not heard from your stakeholders about what are you doing well, what ca be better, what do you need to change.
- You are not sure if you should pitch for a vertical or a horizontal move as next steps in your career, confused about who all should you have this conversation about.
What’s holding you back in having these conversations?
- When do you think is the right time to have these conversations?
- Who all must you need to have these conversations with?
- What are your worries? List them down.
- What do you imagine will happen if you have that conversation?
- Whats’ the worst that could happen?
- What’s the best that could happen?
- How is it a growth edge conversation?
- How are your values at stake relative to this conversation?
- How could this conversation contribute towards helping you grow as a leader?
- What is at stake for you if you don’t?
- What do you want to be most proud of in dealing with this conversation?
Work with a coach
You can practice having this conversation with a coach to get a different perspective and feedback as well. When you have this conversation, it’ll add to your leadership brand. You’ll be known as someone with an ability to have conversations that matter. You’ll be known as someone playing your bigger self, i.e. your authentic self as against playing small, not owning/claiming your full self.
What do you want to be known for? Let’s have that conversation, fill in the form below…