Discussing Difficult Things
Discussing Difficult Things
Do you avoid discussing difficult things? If so, this could be costing you more than you realize.
Most people don’t really like to have difficult conversations and try to avoid them at all costs. But here’s what avoiding difficult conversations could really be costing you.
1. Real Connection
In my experience, most people think they are preserving connection by avoiding difficult discussions. But this avoidance leaves an “elephant in the room” that everyone can feel, even if nobody says anything about it. Over time this erodes relationships and the barrier between you gets harder to cross.
Have you ever just decided to say the hard things and let the pieces fall? This usually happens at a breaking point. The relationship either falls apart completely or real connection is created.
This is true for personal relationships and professional relationships, because everything that goes unsaid just starts piling up between you until there is no trust left at all.
2. Opportunities
When you avoid hard conversations, you are actually blocking yourself from new opportunities. These could be opportunities to help someone, to receive help, or to generate new ideas together.
3. Staying too long in expired relationships
Not saying what you need to say not only blocks real connection from happening, but it also keeps you tiptoeing around while holding on to relationships that are past their expiration date. This is true for personal and professional relationships.
When you are too afraid to speak up because you think it will cost you the relationship, this may be a sign that the relationship is wasting your life energy, which is the most costly thing there could be.
So where have you been avoiding having a difficult conversation? And what is it costing you?