How to Have Difficult Conversations with Employees
How to Have Difficult Conversations with Employees 05/27/25 There’s a moment every leader recognizes, the pause before a difficult conversation. Maybe it’s about missed deadlines, tension between team members, or performance that hasn’t met expectations. Your stomach tightens a little. You rehearse what you’re going to say. You wonder how it will be received. Difficult conversations are rarely comfortable, but they are essential. In fact, the health of a workplace often depends on them. When handled with care, honesty, and empathy, these conversations can strengthen trust rather than damage it. They can turn uncertainty into clarity and frustration into forward momentum. It can be tempting to delay addressing a problem. After all, avoidance feels easier in the short term. But small issues have a way of growing when left unspoken. A missed deadline becomes a pattern. A misunderstanding becomes resentment. Silence can quietly chip away at productivity and morale. On the othe...