Here are 3 ideas to help you cultivate more connection in your life this week - all about approaching conversations.

(1) Have a difficult conversation

Especially in the workplace where connection is so important, we have to be prepared to have hard conversations around things like team dynamics, performance and employment. People appreciate it so much more and conversations can help provide resolution and support.

​Hunter Leonard recently shared the news story from last month about Atlassian letting 150 staff go and doing so via a pre-recorded message. That’s right, a pre-recorded video message. I find this to be really lazy, and the news story around it will certainly change the way people feel about the company. There are many ways in which to support employees through a transition and this is not a good one. A phone call, a face to face conversation would have been a lot better. Why are people so afraid of having a conversation?
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(2) Consider your shared goal rather than your opposing positions

When approaching difficult conversations we often jump straight into defending our stance or explaining why the other person is wrong. This immediately creates a dynamic where someone has to lose.

Instead, establish what you both actually want to achieve. Before diving into disagreements, spend time articulating the common ground - wanting a project to succeed, serve customers better, or not creating more work for a team (a few workplace examples).

This shifts the frame from "you versus me" to "us versus the problem." When people feel aligned on the bigger picture, they're much more willing to collaborate on finding solutions rather than defending one idea.

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(3) Approach conversations with openness and a willingness to change your mind

My favourite newsletter is Nick Cave’s Red Hand Files - so eloquently written and insightful. This appeared in an answer to a question a reader posed about whether changing your mind is a sign of weakness. I will quote Nick’s answer below.

“I believe that the ability to change one’s mind is the very definition of strength. We pursue the truth wherever it may lead, remaining flexible and humble enough to adjust our views as new evidence emerges, regardless of how uncomfortable that may feel. It is ultimately a form of resilience, not a sign of weakness. Rigidity breaks; flexibility endures.”

Building relationships requires us to think. Real connection happens when we can hold complexity. Perhaps if we were less invested in being right about everything we’d create a more open space of understanding and authentic connection.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on these. Hit reply or leave a comment online.

Until next week,

Anna