Worklogic’s Project Officer, Ruth Weinekoetter discusses the importance of having difficult conversations, no matter the workplace.
Over some drinks with friends, we started chatting about work, as you do. One of my friends was telling us about this very cantankerous colleague she once had.
Her boss went on leave, so she was the one in charge of dealing with him. She said she found it extremely difficult interacting with him and avoided it as much as she could. Another friend chimed in about how she had been in a somewhat similar situation with a colleague that she really needed to have a conversation with that was not easy to have. She also avoided having that conversations, and when she couldn’t avoid it anymore, unsurprisingly, it did not go well.
I have noticed that these sort of situations come up in chats about work again and again. This got me thinking about how important it is for anyone who works with colleagues to actually know how to approach difficult people, difficult conversations, intervene or give feedback that may be unpleasant. 
After all, open communication helps with transparency, fosters better team cohesion, and adds to work satisfaction.
Worklogic offers a couple trainings that they really could have benefitted from. For managers we recommend our popular in-house courses, Conversations that Matter and Giving and Receiving Feedback. Along with specific training for people managers, we also provide courses that benefit all staff such as our Upstander training. These classes break down how to approach colleagues for any sort of conversation you may need to have.
Whether you are a manager or HR professional, these courses are essential. But in reality, all employees could benefit from these trainings because it’s applicable to everyday life.
Conversations that Matter breaks down approaching such conversations in seven easily manageable actions. This step-by-step approach gives you the confidence that you are in control of the conversation from the get go. And that you will know what to do, when it is not going the way you wanted it to. The skills that you learn in this course, it will make you a better communicator in your everyday work life.
Giving and Receiving Feedback teaches you how to give feedback effectively and what to do when you are on the receiving end. The class will walk you through different models and approaches that will give you options for a variety of situations, as well as discuss the emotional components of it all.
This kind of transparency can do wonders for any size of company. You may think that you do not work in any kind of leadership position, but think about how often you may have had feedback on whatever colleagues may be doing, even heating up tuna casserole for lunch or never putting their coffee cup away.
From Bystander to Upstander teaches you ways to be an advocate in situations that are not right, be it speaking up in when discriminatory things are being said, to standing up for a colleague who gets treated unfairly. These things are often just brushed over. We all have been in situations before where we were angry with ourselves afterwards for not saying something, anything really. This training teaches you how and when it is appropriate to be an upstander. Another good tool to have on your communication belt.
Big work-related things matter, but it is often little things, sometimes not even work related that can spoil team dynamics. We spent most of our time at work, by learning how to navigate dicey situations without upsetting the team, but actually improving communication and transparency is something anyone benefit from. And, to be frank, you can carry into your personal life, as interpersonal interactions don’t stop once we’ve existed the office.
Worklogic’s goal is to build positive work cultures, and having a communication toolbox to keep collaboration flowing is a big part of it.