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South Eastern Kenya University *

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TAXATION

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Communications

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Nov 24, 2024

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Running head: MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS 1 Managing Difficult Conversations Student’s Name: Institutional Affiliation: Course:

MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS 2 Managing Difficult Conversations In workplaces, leaders such as managers and supervisors are likely to conduct difficult conversations from time to time. Many of these conversations involve sensitive topics. Such discussions are not fun to discuss, but they are vital to the roles of a leader. Examples of difficult conversations that happen include letting workers go or even downsizing them and handling criticism to a junior employee, among others. When handling these conversations, you require to have proper communication techniques and a lot of empathy. If difficult conversations are not handled correctly, they could have adverse effects on the company or organization. This bibliography, therefore, aims at providing insight into the management of difficult conversations in business communications. The majority of the resources found included eight scholarly articles written in the past five years, and all of them previewed. Bradley, G. L., & Campbell, A. C. (2016). Managing difficult workplace conversations: Goals, strategies, and outcomes. International Journal of Business Communication , 53 (4), 443-464. The author combines three research, which includes interviews, surveys, and experiments. The results indicated that difficult workplace conversations occur frequently and are commonly dreaded. An example of an awkward conversation at the workplace involves a superior and a subordinate discussing matter perceiving deficiencies in the last work performance. According to Bradley and Campbell, such discussions often include disagreements, defensiveness, and resistance. The outcomes of such conversations lead to the subordinate attempting to withdraw from the work situation physically or psychologically. They may also strike back with accusations of harassment and acts of insubordination. The article further shows

MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS 3 that the frequency of such difficult conversations and their hostile outcomes has increased. For employers and employees to overcome, they need to engage in supportive conversations such as understanding descriptions in discussions, being problem-oriented and task-focused, and being empathetic and perspective-taking. The information in this article is quite relevant to the topic. Williams, B., Beovich, B., Flemming, G., Donovan, G., & Patrick, I. (2017). Exploration of difficult conversations among Australian paramedics. Nursing & health sciences , 19 (3), 358-365. Previous research shows that health care professionals find it challenging to engage in difficult conversations with colleagues regarding their behavior at work. As a result, difficult conversations are often avoided. The failure of having these difficult conversations is associated with staff commitment, discretionary effort, and employee satisfaction. This article used online questionnaires to examine responses of paramedics employed by Amblance Victoria concerning difficult conversations among colleagues regarding the behavior of some co-workers. The study results showed that many paramedics find it challenging to raise these concerns in every health care profession, which brings unfavorable outcomes to the profession. Wiebe, S. (2016). Formative Outcome Evaluation of the 'Having Difficult Conversations' Pilot Training Project. This article talks about a training project on having difficult conversations with managers from a department at a major corporation, Manitoba Telephone System (MTS), located in Winnipeg. The corporation required that an evaluation should be undertaken as part of the training package on the project effectiveness and outcomes. Janet Schmidt and Associates Ltd (JSA) formulated a short-term formative outcome evaluation. The evaluation process majors on short-term results of the training program and determine if participants have changed their

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MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS 4 behavior concerning staff relations to engage in effectively ineffective conversations feedback with their staff. The evaluation involved interviews with a small group of managers that took the training and implemented surveys for the remaining managers who took part during the training and a selected group of direct reports. Twenty-four managers in total participated in the training process. About a third of the managers responded to the questions through the web-based survey. The evaluation results indicated that the training program succeeded in changing the attitude and behavior of some managers concerning staff relations to engage in more productive conversations and feedback with their staff. This training contributed to overcoming awkward conversations within the corporation to a great extent. The training's major strength was that the managers learned new tools and techniques to use to improve communication and feedback with staff. Additionally, the training reintroduced and reminded managers of various techniques already familiar to them, with 80% of the managers having the ability to utilize the training received in their approach to difficult conversations and feedback in the corporation. This article is useful in managing difficult conversations because the purpose of the exercise was to improve the same situation in Janet Schmidt and Associates Ltd. Chen, Q., Hsu, M., & Mehta, V. (2004u) how public conversation management integrated with local business process management. Information Systems and E-Business Management , 2 (1), 111-126. This article addresses public conversation management and business process management in a business environment. For enterprises to collaborate at the business –process level, they must deal with two kinds of processes; the public conversation process specifying inter-enterprise document flow and the private business processes determining local workflows of document manipulation and other related tasks. The authors further discuss the relationship

MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS 5 and interactions between conversation management and business project management as well as pointing out the difference between the two. The article then illustrates a collaborative process management system with a functionally separated conversation manager and business process manager. Unlike the others discussed earlier, this article does not contain adequate information on managing difficult conversations in businesses. It does not provide solutions to this problem. Radovic Markovic, M., & Salamzadeh, A. (2018). The Importance of Communication in Business Management. In Radovic Markovic, M., & Salamzadeh, A.(2018). The Importance of Communication in Business Management. This article addresses the importance of communications in business management. According to the authors, communication is one of the management functions. It refers to creating, communicating, and interpreting ideas and opinions as well as feelings about work performance, organizational effectiveness, and attainment of goals in an organization. To run a successful business organization, the manager should be an effective communicator and have the right communication skills that will enable him to handle difficult conversations whenever they come up from other colleagues. Weak communication system results in mismanagement of the business, and if not appropriately addressed, it could lead to the collapse of the company. In an organization where chaos is not adequately addressed through communications, employees feel burdened because there is no opportunity for them to let out their problems. Some of them may get to the extent of withdrawing from the business. The main aim was to show that the success of any business depends on effective communication. The authors further indicate that practical communication skills should be developed on an ongoing basis and more in a turbulent business. The article has handy information that is well related to the topic.

MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS 6 Bartholomew, J. B., & Sanders, S. L. (2018). Managing Difficult Conversations. Kinesiology Review , 7 (4), 358-362. Doi:10.1123/kr.2018-0041. Bartholomew and Sanders (2018) find that managing difficult conversation require that managers understand their departments and faculties. The authors also reiterate that the achievement of this objective promotes shared governance that is essential to decision-making in an organization. The model also promotes proactive among individuals as it helps personnel to control situation, improve behavior, and supports strategies that allow employees to conduct the correct cause of action (Bartholomew & Sanders, 2018). Increasing staff participation in business activities also reduces challenges that may arise in the organization as it supports the need to get opinion from other stakeholders. The article offers that for a manager to improve difficult communication in the workplace, the individual should know self. The individual should also examine the needs of the faculty and identify of an approach that is a success to all parties. Kalra, M. (2018). Managing Difficult Conversation. Journal of Social Health and Diabetes, 6(2), 104-105. Doi:10.1055/s-0038-1675677. Kalra (2018) provides that conversation is like human bedrock given that a lack of conversation limits all forms of social life. The author states that some conversations are pleasant; however, others fail to meet this threshold due to difficulties such as distress, before, during, or after the conversation. The author refers to conversations that end in disagreements as difficult, and it may arise due to the topic for discussion. Kalra (2018) further indicates that difficult conversations are universal and they apply to all sectors and professional domains. The author reiterates that managers need to understand conversation distress that contributes to difficulty in communication. The problem associates with psychosocial and physio- environmental factors such as ambience and aggressive décor. As such managing difficult

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MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS 7 conversations in the workplace demands the application of the 5R strategy. The elements entail respect to the opponent, repetition to help in understanding, reinforcing common ground, reassurance, and retract to avoid confrontations. Farrell, M. (2015) ‘Difficult Conversations’, Journal of Library Administration. Routledge, 55(4), pp. 302–311. doi: 10.1080/01930826.2015.1038931. Farrell (2015) provides that difficulty in conversation adversely impacts performance and behaviors in the workplace. As such, businesses must have strategies to reduce conflicts among employees as organizations benefit from ongoing dialogues among its personnel. Solving difficult communication demands the application of leadership skills to ensure that teams succeed in the tasks that they have. Manager should avoid hard conversations as an approach to managing difficult conversations. The organizations should also promote open discussions that help to strengthen the relationships among employees. Farrell (2015) indicates that difficult conversations arise on matters of job performance. Therefore, collaborative strategies among employees are some of the models crucial to minimizing the impacts of negativities that arise from such issues. Conclusion Difficult conversations, especially in the workplace, are bound to happen from time to time. However, managing them is key to running a successful business. Many people often feel ashamed whenever such a problem arises. It is always good to be open and avoid fear because it hinders one from communicating that which is bothering them. To prevent anxiety, always be ready to engage in an open discussion about the news and the impacts created by them. Having open dialogues presents new ways of handling the problem.

MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS 8 References Bartholomew, J. B., & Sanders, S. L. (2018). Managing Difficult Conversations. Kinesiology Review , 7 (4), 358-362. Doi:10.1123/kr.2018-0041. Bradley, G. L., & Campbell, A. C. (2016). Managing difficult workplace conversations: Goals, strategies, and outcomes. International Journal of Business Communication , 53 (4), 443- 464. Chen, Q., Hsu, M., & Mehta, V. (2004). How public conversation management integrated with local business process management. Information Systems and E-Business Management , 2 (1), 111-126. Farrell, M. (2015) ‘Difficult Conversations’, Journal of Library Administration. Routledge, 55(4), pp. 302–311. doi: 10.1080/01930826.2015.1038931. Kalra, M. (2018). Managing Difficult Conversation. Journal of Social Health and Diabetes, 6(2), 104-105. Doi:10.1055/s-0038-1675677. Radovic Markovic, M., & Salamzadeh, A. (2018). The Importance of Communication in Business Management. In Radovic Markovic, M., & Salamzadeh, A.(2018). The Importance of Communication in Business Management. Wiebe, S. (2016). Formative Outcome Evaluation of the ‘Having Difficult Conversations’ Pilot Training Project. Williams, B., Beovich, B., Flemming, G., Donovan, G., & Patrick, I. (2017). Exploration of difficult conversations among Australian paramedics. Nursing & health sciences , 19 (3), 358-365.

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