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Details: Parent Category: Business Tips; Category: Leadership; Published: 10 March 2013

Lisa B. Marshall, a communication expert who helps organisations build stronger teams, manage conflict, create stronger more effective messages and deliver better presentations, has written a book entitled, "Smart Talk."

In today's rapidly changing landscape, global communication fluency is a must have leadership skill.

Business owners, executives and professionals from all positions in the workplace need to continually assess and re-tool their strategy for ongoing success and career development by learning the latest strategies.

How to have ‘courageous conversations’.

Consider this; you have to tell one of your most productive employees that she dresses inappropriately and unprofessionally. Worse, her personal hygiene is sometimes less than desirable. How do you handle this difficult conversation?

Is it so hard to tell that same person that their ten-kilos-too-small and twenty-years-too-young shirt is wildly inappropriate for the office?

Courageous conversations cause most of us some level of anxiety. Discussing sensitive topics or delivering bad news is something most leaders dread. Often leaders have to fight the natural impulse to avoid confronting difficult issues.

Confronting another person is difficult. Perhaps, it's because these skills are rarely taught at home or school. And even people with excellent communication skills sometimes retreat when faced with stressful or sensitive communication issues. Yet, when you avoid communication, the vacuum gets filled with negative assumptions and ill will.

If you want to maintain your relationship with the other party, the goal is to encourage a change in behaviour, and that means you need to deliver bad news thoughtfully, tactfully and respectfully.

When preparing for acourageous conversation, it's critically important to think about the emotional and intellectual perspective of the other person.

Compassion helps you to be open to the other person's perspective. Compassion is what reminds us that the other person is just doing the best they can with what they've got.

To manage a courageous conversation successfully, it's important to understand your own conflict management style as well as that of your conversation partner.

Reference: “Smart Talk: The Public Speakers Guide to Success in Every Situation, by Lisa B. Marshall

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"Just a short note to tell you how we are travelling; We have had our busiest ever summer. This month we took over $100,000 plus accounts. The number sounds good, but more to the point our GP (Gross Profit) is up where it should be.Our accountant rang last week, (shriek), he has just completed last years tax for us. His words were along the line of ”of all the businesses he deals with, he has never seen a business turn around like ours”. Neridah and I attribute this to your time and persistence with us. Thank you."
- Trevor and Neridah Cains, Murwillumbah Mowers & Chainsaws.

"Phil, I want to thank you and convey my gratitude for the excellent standard of professional development and service that you have afforded to my staff and me over the past 8 years. The professional Executive Coaching that you have provided to me has been instrumental in both my personal and professional development and I can say without hesitation that your contributions have greatly shaped and aided my achievements of the organisations that I have worked for. The introduction of the PINNACLE’s professional services has certainly provided a strong return on investment and this has led to a positive flow-on effect in relation to the quality of our services."
- John Jensen, Executive General Manager, Community Services at House With No Steps

"Whether Phil is providing Executive Coaching to senior managers, facilitating team or leadership development, Phil demonstrates the highest standards of professionalism in his approach, delivery and follow through of the individual projects. Hs ability to deliver an individually tailored solution to any business challenge we presented him with has been an asset to our organisation. He was able to develop a unique understanding of the project brief and deliver a professional outcome that often exceeded our expectations. As a leader of an organisation employing approximately 400 staff and caring for over 700 clients I benefited greatly from his expert and professional guidance."
- Anne Leeson, Regional Director, UnitingCare Ageing – North Coast Region

"Phil facilitated the design and development of our strategic business plan with our management team to take us out of the small business syndrome into a medium business mentality. With Phil facilitating the process it ensured a quality process as he kept our business planning team on track and provided clear direction. Phil provided a very much needed sounding board as his past experiences allowed him to look at the issues pragmatically, making our team look at real issues both from left of field and right in front of us, that are often too easily missed."
- Matthew Denehy, Managing Director, Eagle Insurance Brokers

"Since I have been working with Phil, I have set actions with time frames in place for everything I do in my business...he holds me accountable for them, and I have learnt so much and grown so much as a result of this. I now feel in control of my business and feel confident I can succeed with growing my business and opening another store."
- Sarah, Surf wear fashion retailer.

"Enlightening and Empowering. I have learnt that I know a very small portion of what I need to know and that this is the biggest threat to my financial security.... that business isn’t rocket science and the answers to any difficulties are readily available if you are wise enough to listen and brave enough to re-invent yourself, with the assistance of your coach. Thanks Phil."
- Tania, Retail Music Store Owner

"Phil’s input and support as an external consultant with NORTEC since 2010, has ranged from extended individual executive coaching assignments; team based executive leadership development programs; panel involvement in recruitment and selection processes to broad based organisational development initiatives. The diversity of these assignments for NORTEC is testament to both his effectiveness and broad base of knowledge and experience he offers his clients. Phil’s structured and accountable approach, combined with his highly effective facilitation skills and contemporary management knowledge, ensures clarity in terms of respective accountabilities in the client : consultant relationship and realisation of tangible return-on-investment and value for his clients."
- Paul Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, NORTEC Employment and Training Ltd.

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