Focus on: Managing difficult conversations

I always dread having a difficult conversation with a member of staff, but it’s about having the courage to tell them that something isn’t working, and then discussing how you can work together to resolve the issue.

A lot of people will skirt around the edges of a difficult conversation, but it helps to be more direct. You get better results when you’re clear and direct.

I’m always talking to my team and making sure I understand when they’re upset about something.

We recently introduced an iSqueeze orange juice machine to the store and some members of staff are complaining about cleaning it, but we haven’t brought it in to make life difficult. I’ve been explaining the additional costs we have coming up, such as the rise in minimum wages and business rates, and how we need to make sure we can secure their jobs for the future.

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The machine is bringing more people into the business and making the business more sustainable.

The same goes for dealing with difficult conversations with customers. Nine out of 10 times I can get the customer back on side.

You have to be con dent in your approach. And fake the confidence if you need to. The more you try these things, the more confident you become in dealing with them.

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