When someone brings up a controversial topic at work, most of us fantasize about diving under our desks or suddenly developing an urgent need to attend to our emails (or at least I do). Why? Because we’re afraid of saying the wrong thing, hurting someone’s feelings, or ending up in a conversation we can’t navigate safely back to shore.
But let’s face it: Those uncomfortable conversations aren’t going away. In fact, some days it can feel like EVERYTHING is a potentially divisive topic. And avoiding them isn’t making us better leaders or colleagues. Instead of hiding from these moments, let’s learn how to handle them with grace, courage, and a bit of skill.
