Stepping Up to Difficult Conversations: Fear Is Normal

This post is a continuation of Stepping Up to Difficult Conversations: What My Grad Students Taught Me. What I’m about to write will make more sense if you read that first!

I asked my grad students what their greatest fears were before having the difficult conversations they’d chosen. They named the kinds of fears you and I would probably name, too:

I feared it wasn’t the "right" time to have the conversation.

I feared I’d be found out for who I really am.

I was afraid I might resort to some of my more rageful ways.

I worried that it would backfire and make things worse.

I was afraid the other person would get angry at me.

I feared retribution or other consequences at work.

I was afraid I wouldn’t handle myself well.

I was afraid I wouldn’t have the strength to see it through.

Then I asked them what their greatest hopes were. I’ll write about their answers next.

Inspired by these students,

[tags]relationship communication[/tags]