‘I don’t like confrontation, but I’m tired of his abuse. He signed me up for another committee without asking.”

“I know I need to say something about her taking credit for my work, but how to start?”

“Another joy of adulting, I’ve got to have one of those thorny conversations. Not fun.”

Difficult conversations are inevitable at some point in most people’s lives—despite their lack of popularity.

Avoiding them only leads to bigger problems down the road. The good news? With a clear framework, tough conversations can strengthen relationships, foster growth, and achieve better results.

This step-by-step guide provides a road map for navigating challenging dialogues with calm, empathy, and assertiveness.

Step 1: Prepare yourself

Before initiating a difficult conversation, take a moment to think about how you feel and why you need to have the conversation. What is the core issue to address? What are your goals and desired outcomes? Are you trying to effect a behavioral change, or do you simply want to be right? If the answer is the latter, you may wish to pause before starting a dialogue.

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