How to have a
difficult conversation
All of one’s ‘arriving’ on
the road of life, work, and
relationships hinges on
the willingness to engage
in difficult conversations
about the journey,
declares Neha GuptaNeha Gupta is a writer,
facilitator, coach, and
organisational development
alchemist. She loves metaphors,
travelling and the seaHow often we wish a situation away when an
uncomfortable conversation appears inevitable?
Like telling your boss that you feel micromanaged
by him, which, in turn, is negatively affecting your
performance. Or telling your partner that you no
longer love her and wish to move on. Or that you feel
suffocated by the constant presence of a certain well-
wisher in your house who eats up your valuable me-
time and family time.
However, as Robert Frost wisely said, “The only
way out is through.” In the business of life, there is
no escaping interactions that stretch you, unless you
choose the life of a hermit. Avoiding them only leads to
energy being blocked, creating a ground for even more
complex and difficult conversations in the future. Just
as an unwillingness to engage in difficult conversations
is detrimental for those who seek growth in their
persons, teams, families and organisations, a
willingness to engage in difficult conversations can
actually become not just enjoyable but also create
value for everyone within the circumference of a
conversation.
So many of our repressed issues arise out of our
inability to express ourselves effectively to people who
matter, without rocking the boat. Either we blow it all
up, in the heat of anger, or keep things locked within
our hearts till they fester and manifest as diseases.
Yet, if handled correctly, they have the potential of
opening new doors, engendering new realisations, and
even deepening the existing relationships.76 LifePositive | FEBRUARY 2018^
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