1. Building Leadership Capacity Difficult Discussions
Slide Intent
Cover slide
Difficult Discussions
New Reality Leadership
December 2018
Copyright New Reality Leadership, LLC

2. The Impact of Effective Coaching
Think of a time you were given:
feedback about a mistake you made that was handled poorly by your manager. Describe how you felt and any negative impact to you or your team.
constructive feedback in a respectful way. How did that impact you?
Slide Intent
Identify examples of difficult feedback to build value for the session.
Key Messages
As an open group, show the slide and ask for examples of positive or negative approaches.
You could combine this with the introductions if you are doing those in the session. It might take longer so if you only want a couple examples, you might not include during introductions.
You could also break up the group into pairs or trios and ask them to discuss a time they experienced these situations.
Facilitation Notes
The intent here is to build value for the process. When this process is applied, it creates a an engaging workplace even when the discussion may not be pleasant.

3. Objectives
Use a six-step process to coach employees during difficult performance discussions.
Apply the process by journaling performance discussions.
Slide Intent
Present objectives.
Key Messages
Share slide. Review the objectives here and at the end of the session.
Facilitation Notes
It is a good practice to review the objectives at the beginning and end of a session so participants know what to focus on through the session and then check to see if they met the objectives. Notice the slight difference in wording from this slide to the last objective slide.

4. Agenda A Process to Handle Difficult Discussion The Assessment
Examples
Case Study Application
Competency Connection
Application Activities
Slide Intent
Present the Agenda.
Key Messages
Share the agenda. Post this on the wall either by making a poster from this slide or creating a chart to hang.
Facilitation Notes
Refer to agenda during session so participants see what they have accomplished and what is next. Participants like to know where they are in the session.

5. 1. A Process to Handle Difficult Discussions
Prepare for the discussion
State what you observed
Allow person to respond fully
Decide: Is further action needed
Ask them to describe how they will address the situation
Verify your agreement
Follow up
Slide Intent
Highlight the six-step process.
Key Messages
Review the process steps.
Hang a chart of this slide or write these steps on a chart and hang.
Use the workbook and share each step.
Or, give the participants 2-3 minutes to read the six steps and ask for comments.
Explain that they will design a discussion using these steps.
Facilitation Notes

6. 2. The Assessment Complete the assessment.
Determine insights you see from answering these questions.
Slide Intent
Introduce the assessment.
Key Messages
Ask participants to complete the assessment.
Discuss questions they have. If they are willing, allow them to share where they are on the assessment but do not force them since this information might be sensitive.
Ask them to keep their results in mind as they review the rest of the materials as a way to help them focus on ways to improve.
Facilitation Notes

7. 3. Examples Review the examples provided in the material.
What questions do you have about these examples?
Does this process fit your style? Would you feel comfortable using this process?
Slide Intent
Introduce the examples.
Key Messages
Read through one example together to show the process.
Ask them to read the other example on their own.
Ask what challenges they might have using these steps.
Each person needs to adjust the tone and word use to fit their personality.
Facilitation Notes
Leaders improve confidence especially when addressing resistant or difficult employees.

8. 4. Case Study Application
Context
Apply the process to your own situations.
To Do
Think about a difficult performance discussion you need to have with an employee. Use the process steps to determine your strategy.
How
Work in small groups. Pick a case from your group and discuss how the process would work for this case. If time, do several cases from your group. Be prepared to share back one case from your group.
Slide Intent
Provide case study instructions.
Key Messages
Share the exercise instructions with the group.
Suggest groups be no more than 4 people.
Goal is to help participants think through a pending difficult discussion and use this process to prepare for the discussion. Others in the group can coach the employee.
Allow enough time for several employees to present a situation to discuss if possible.
This topic lends itself to ongoing review. During leadership meetings, review the tool and then see who has applied it recently and the results.
Facilitation Notes
One business had weekly leader staff meetings. The agenda included a 10 minute segment for leaders to discuss how they used this approach and the impact. It created an impactful learning approach for the leaders.
15 minutes

9. Business Impact
What is the positive or negative impact on people when discussions are done well or not well?
How can this effect on people impact business performance?
Slide Intent
Help participants see the impact on people and business performance.
Key Messages
Show slide and allow a few responses from large group.
Giving effective feedback engages employees and helps them improve their work. Giving feedback poorly disengages employees. Employee productivity may suffer and some employees will find other opportunities.
Facilitation Notes
New Reality makes connections between effectively leading people and how that impacts the business performance. As a facilitator, help the participants see this relationship if it applies to your area. For example, one director did not follow this approach but harshly reprimanded employees without getting the facts. She lost her entire team over the next year costing the business an estimated million dollars.

10. 5. Competency Connection
Communicates Effectively
Manages Performance
Listens Actively
Manages Conflict and Difficult Performance Issues
Interacts well with employees
How does managing difficult discussions impact these competencies?
Slide Intent
Connect this skill to leadership competencies.
Key Messages
In the initial NRL modules, we discussed competencies or mindsets of successful leaders. The way we address difficult discussions impacts these four competencies significantly.
Ask the question on the slide to the large group, or pair up participants and assign pairs a competency to discuss for a minute and have them share with the larger group.
Facilitation Notes

11. 6. Application Activities
Review the application materials.
Apply the process to situations you may face in the coming months.
If possible, share back with the group your successes or challenges while using the process.
Track your learnings.
Slide Intent
Application.
Key Messages
Review slide. Ask for other actions from group.
Facilitation Notes

12. Review the Assessment Look at your assessment.
How will this approach help you shift your answers toward the right?
If your original assessment is strong, how can you support and coach others in this method? What other approaches do you use to have effective difficult discussions?
Slide Intent
Review Assessment for upgrades.
Key Messages
Ask participants to review assessment for upgrades now that they have a deeper understanding of the approach.
Ask for a couple comments.
Facilitation Notes

13. Objectives Revisited…
Describe your confidence level to use this process to conduct a difficult performance discussion?
What are a couple actions you will take to improve this approach?
What other support do you need to increase your competency in this area?
Slide Intent
Review objectives to see if they were achieved.
Key Messages
These objectives were shown at the start of the module.
They are worded as questions in this slide.
Ask the group to comment on the questions.
Check to see if they have additional needs or support to improve this skill.
Facilitation Notes
It is a good facilitation practice to review the objectives at the beginning and end of a session so participants know what to focus on through the session.
Most learning takes place after a session through application. Prove follow up meetings to have them share their experiences.

14. Closing Thoughts
List an insight you gained during this discussion that will help you in your leadership?
How does coaching effectively in difficult situations help shift employees toward Tier 3 Characteristics?
Slide Intent
Review of the module by asking for a learning from the participants.
Key Messages
Ask each participant for one learning from this module.
Value of this exercise is for all participants to understand how other leaders are applying the skill or knowledge, which often helps them see ways to apply the skill as well.
If the group learned the Tier Model, ask how improving difficult discussions helps shift people to Tier 3
Leaders build confidence in employees by having respectful, purposeful improvement discussions. Employees will try new things and grow.
Leaders inhibit growth with poor coaching techniques. Employees tend to stay in the dependent stage because they will be tentative on making decisions and taking risks.
Facilitation Notes
Using this process helps turn poor performance around quickly. Often we accept sub-par performance for a long time which causes the employee to stay where they are vs. shifting. It also sends a message to other employees that they may not have to improve performance. This module shows how to effectively and respectfully address the challenges.