How to Improve the Outcome of Challenging Conversations

Guest Contributor
Published: 07/19/2012
Posted by: RE Technology

This post comes to us from the Lone Wolf blog:

Do you use your conversations to reach the most productive and positive outcome? Are you thinking about what you're going to say and how it will affect the other person before you say it? These are communication strategies to consider when you are involved in a challenging conversation.

Bridget DiCello, a public speaker and expert in effectively navigating difficult conversations, presented the idea of 'opportunity space' at a seminar held during the Meeting Professionals International Toronto Education Conference. The concept of opportunity space is the effective use of the few seconds of silence in the middle of a conversation. This space is available to gather your thoughts and determine how best to reach your intended outcome in your response. The opportunity space allows us to make a conscious decision to turn a negative conversation into a positive one.