Wouldn’t you love it if every conversation you had with people was lighthearted and joyful? Unfortunately, there are going to be times in life where you’ve got to be serious and have conversations that are challenging to have.
With that being said, we understand the next question you have is ‘how to have hard conversations?’ There’s no need to worry because we’re going to share some tips with you to make having difficult conversations a bit more manageable.
Practice Active Listening
Conversations are a two-way street where people spend time talking to others. The first tip we’ve got to offer you is to practice active listening when you’re having these conversations.
If you think about it, we spend most of the time formulating a response instead of devoting all our attention to what someone is saying. Ensure you’re truly tuned into their words and make an effort to understand things from their point of view.
Doing this will make working things out and finding a middle ground easier than if you had no understanding of where the other person is coming from.
Take a Timeout
Even when you approach a conversation with the best intentions, things aren’t always going to go the way you’d intended. If things become heated and you realize you’re both losing sight of what the conversation is supposed to be about, take a timeout.
This gives both people a chance to cool off and then return to the conversation when you’re ready to continue with a level head. During your timeout, do something that relaxes you, like going for a walk, practicing meditation, or listening to your favorite music.
Extend Grace
If someone has wronged you, and that’s the reason you’re having this conversation, extend grace to them. You never know what’s going on in someone else’s life that might have caused them to act out in the way that they did.
Instead of staying angry with them, do your best to give them the benefit of the doubt. This doesn’t mean you’ve got to forget what they did, but it means not holding on to any resentment caused by their actions.
If you’re struggling with this there are dialogue groups and pieces of training that can help you learn.
Work Together to Find a Solution
The point of having these difficult conversations is to come to a resolution that satisfies both parties. There are several answers to the question of, ‘how to end a difficult conversation?’
The first way to end a conversation is by agreeing to disagree. This acknowledges that you both might not agree on the outcome, but you’re not going to argue or be upset with each other over it.
Another way to end a conversation is by forgiving each other and moving on from the incident.
How to Have Hard Conversations
How to have hard conversations is different for everyone, but we’ve given you some beneficial tips above. Always enter the conversation with open ears and understand sometimes a resolution won’t be reached. If you’re preparing to have a hard conversation but don’t know how to navigate the conversation, contact Christlike Dialogue. We know how tricky and challenging conversations between people with differing views can be and are here to help.
30-minute free coaching
Do you seek to become a better listener? Are you willing to ask questions of people with opposing views to better understand why they see things differently than you do? Would you like to see argumentative monologues replaced with honest dialogue? If so, we are offering 30 minutes of free coaching on ways to achieve those goals.