I remember the first time I had to tell someone they were not doing a good job.
I also remember the time I had to fire someone for the first time. It was not fun.
In fact, I almost vomited. Over the years I have learned how to navigate these conversations without making it more than it needs to be. The reality is that business is tough. You're constantly having to have tough conversations with tough people about tough situations. I wrote Having Tough Conversations because I want to share strategies for approaching these conversations in a way that made you stress less, feel more empowered and be more effective in your communication with your team and subordinates. Nothing is going to make these conversations easy, but with context and perspective, you'll be able to move through these situations gracefully and productively.
The important thing to remember is that your job is to protect your business. In many ways, the best way to protect your business is to protect the people involved. Partners, employees, vendors, and clients: they're all part of your company's lifeblood. Even though you need these people to run a successful business, you won't always get along with them. Sometimes you're able to overcome the underlying issue, and other times, you aren't. You need to learn how to handle these moments through communication and decision.
This book is a discussion of how to handle those tough conversations, and what can go wrong when you delay or mishandle them. After reading this book, you should be well-versed in recognizing when it's time to have hard talks. You should also have a solid strategy for how to approach these conversations in a way that helps everyone move forward.
I've written this book for anyone who wants a better approach to handling the tough stuff that is sure to come when you're growing a successful business.
