11.6 Chapter Summary
Key Takeaways
- Difficult conversations may be unplanned or planned.
- A planned difficult conversation provides the Human Resources professional with time to gather information and prepare talking points.
- An unplanned, difficult conversation relies on the skills of the Human Resources professional to react professionally and guide the conversation without any notice.
- It is essential to select the best time and place to have a difficult conversation and invite a witness, such as the employee’s direct manager.
- Topics that require a difficult conversation often include theft, discrimination, ethics, and harassment.
- Psychological safety is a basic need every organization needs to provide to all employees.
- To ensure psychological safety, leaders must ensure employees feel safe coming forward to speak with their direct managers.
- Employees must trust their leaders will keep the information confidential in order to feel safe.
- Confidentiality is paramount, meaning information isn’t shared with anyone who isn’t directly involved. For example, information may need to be shared with Human Resources but not with co-workers.
Check Your Knowledge
Now that you have completed Chapter 11, reflect on what you have learned and see if you can complete these tasks.
- Can you identify best practices in planned and unplanned difficult conversations?
- Can you explain the meaning and importance of psychological safety at work?
- Have you applied a psychological safety approach to a workplace scenario?
