How can you maintain positive stakeholder relationships through difficult conversations?

1 Understand the situation

Before you initiate or respond to a difficult conversation, take some time to understand the situation and the context. What is the main issue or conflict? What are the underlying causes and motivations? What are the possible consequences and implications? How do you and the other stakeholders feel and think about the situation? By gathering and analyzing this information, you can prepare yourself for the conversation and anticipate the challenges and opportunities.

2 Plan your approach

Once you have a clear picture of the situation, you can plan your approach for the conversation. Consider your goals, objectives, and desired outcomes. What do you want to achieve or resolve from the conversation? How can you align your goals with the other stakeholders' goals? What are the best strategies and tactics to communicate your message and address the issue? How can you demonstrate respect, empathy, and professionalism throughout the conversation? By planning your approach, you can increase your confidence and effectiveness.

4 Express yourself clearly

Another essential skill for difficult conversations is clear expression. Clear expression means stating your thoughts, opinions, and feelings in a way that is respectful, honest, and constructive. It also means using positive and assertive language, avoiding blame and criticism, providing feedback and suggestions, and explaining your reasoning and evidence. By expressing yourself clearly, you can convey your message and perspective effectively, address the issue and conflict directly, and avoid misunderstandings and confusion.

5 Collaborate on solutions

After you and the other stakeholders have exchanged your views and feelings, you can move on to collaborating on solutions. Collaborating on solutions means working together to find common ground, identify options, evaluate alternatives, and agree on actions. It also means being flexible, creative, and open-minded, respecting each other's preferences and constraints, and committing to follow-up and accountability. By collaborating on solutions, you can achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, resolve the issue and conflict satisfactorily, and strengthen your relationships.

6 Reflect and learn

Finally, after the conversation, you can reflect and learn from the experience. Reflection and learning means reviewing the conversation and evaluating its results. What went well and what could have been better? What did you learn about yourself and the other stakeholders? How did the conversation affect your relationships and outcomes? What can you do differently or improve next time? By reflecting and learning, you can enhance your skills and knowledge, appreciate your achievements and challenges, and grow as a relationship builder.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?