It’s easy to take things personally and get upset when you need to lead a tough performance conversation. In this episode, we’ll take a look at what might cause you to get upset and five steps you can take to keep your cool and have a productive conversation.

Leading a Performance Conversation without Losing Your Cool

0:58 – Be sure to pick up your discounted copy of Courageous Cultures through the end of June 2021.

2:00 – Why leading a performance conversation without losing your cool is a vital leadership skill

3:44 – Why these conversations can produce anger

4:22 – How to identify the thinking that undermines your cool

5:31 – The first step to keeping your cool – reframing what’s happened.

6:07 – Next, the second step to maintain your composure is to prepare for the conversation.

7:13 – Then, the third step for a productive conversation is to understand what provokes anger in other people and ensure that you’re not escalating conversations unnecessarily.

8:07 – Choosing sad over mad and avoiding mind-reading

8:56 – Next is the fourth step: when to call a timeout and rejoin the conversation later.

9:44 – Finally, your goal in every performance conversation and its role in helping you maintain your composure

11:34 – How to get your leadership or management question answered in a future episode (email David)