Even with the rewarding moments of of being educators, I’m not sure I can imagine an occupation (unless it’s customer service reps or pastoring) that involves the inevitability of dealing with difficult situations or people. 
In Part 2 of my conversation with Jethro Jones on his great podcast Transformative Principal, we take a deep-dive into the nitty gritty of managing tough conversations.
If you’re like me, you never look forward to those moments. But I’m sure you also have learned practical steps over time for minimizing some of the stress.
Here is a summary of the show notes from Part 2 or Episode 76 of the podcast:
- Dealing with difficult people.
- Make sure you are not the difficult person.
- Seek to understand before being understood.
- Be firm but friendly.
- Change your posture or use humor when appropriate.
- Agree to disagree.
- Consider bringing all parties to the table.
- What can I do to help you?
- Sometimes it is inevitable to have difficult conversations.
- Communicate privately with staff members when there is a difficulty.
- Big fan of just being honest.
- Talk straight with each other.
- Relationships are so important for every teacher and staff member.
- “It’s not an issue of me and you, it’s an issue of you and you.”
More Resources
If you’d like more helpful lessons, check out my previous posts on Tips For Dealing With Difficult People, 7 Tips For Dealing With Challenging Students, or 7 Communication To-Do’s for Managing Student Discipline.
I hope you will take time to share Jethro’s podcast with other school leaders as we continue to grow together!
Now It’s Your Turn
What are some other tips or suggestions you would add to the list of ways to deal with challenging or difficult conversations?
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