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The Conversation You’re Afraid Will Break It

Don Eash
May 27
1 min read

Updated: Oct 8


The conversation you’re afraid will break the relationship is usually the one that saves it.

 

The tension is already there. The other person already feels it. You’re both walking around it, pretending it doesn’t exist, spending energy on the pretending instead of on the work.

 

Having the conversation doesn’t create the problem. The problem already exists. Having the conversation is the first step toward resolving it.

 

I’ve watched leaders avoid a feedback conversation for months because they were afraid of damaging the relationship. And when they finally had it, the other person said “Thank you. I’ve been waiting for someone to tell me this.”

 

The avoidance is doing more damage than the conversation ever would.

 


 

How does your presence land? The Altimeter maps it — therightaltitudebook.com/altimeter

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