I anticipated that the conversation would be difficult.
Shari* and I had worked together for many years, and I knew she was expecting me to hire her to run a leadership program for one of my clients, Ganta, a high-tech company. But I didn’t think Shari was the right fit for Ganta or, frankly, for the role of running the leadership training. In fact, I had become increasingly critical of her recent performance, though I hadn’t mentioned anything to her about it yet.
That was my first mistake. I should have said something before it got to this point.
So why didn’t I? I’d love to claim that it was because I liked her, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Or because I hoped things would get better without my intervention.
And while those things were true, there was a deeper truth: I was afraid of the cringe moment.
via How to Start a Conversation You’re Dreading – Peter Bregman – Harvard Business Review.
