Elevation Occ Psy

Elevation Occ Psy Empowering inclusive workplaces through evidence-based occupational psychology and workplace health

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18/01/2026

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Night one! ✨✨
11/01/2026

Night one! ✨✨

Finland - here we come again!!! ❄️🏂❄️🏂❄️🏂
09/01/2026

Finland - here we come again!!! ❄️🏂❄️🏂❄️🏂

If I had to describe the heart of my research in a single line, it would be this:Difficult conversations are not communi...
18/12/2025

If I had to describe the heart of my research in a single line, it would be this:
Difficult conversations are not communication problems. They are relational and organisational problems expressed through communication.
When relationships and systems are healthy, conversations become easier. When they are not, no script is enough.
This shift in perspective changes how we design leadership development, how we think about “communication issues” and how we support people at every level of an organisation.

Across my research, three conditions consistently supported better difficult conversations:psychological safety,relation...
17/12/2025

Across my research, three conditions consistently supported better difficult conversations:
psychological safety,
relational clarity,
and organisational alignment.
When these were present, conversations still required care, but they felt possible and often productive. When they were absent, even simple topics became hard to navigate.
Rather than searching for a perfect model, focusing on these three conditions is often the most powerful intervention.

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17/12/2025

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Success in a difficult conversation is not “nobody got upset”.Participants in my study defined a good difficult conversa...
16/12/2025

Success in a difficult conversation is not “nobody got upset”.
Participants in my study defined a good difficult conversation in more meaningful ways. They felt heard, respected and understood. The purpose of the conversation was clear. The process felt fair. The emotional experience was challenging but manageable.
These criteria focus on quality rather than comfort. They remind us that it is possible for a conversation to feel emotionally stretching and still be experienced as fair and constructive.
That is a more useful standard to aim for.

Family time!!! 🐾🤍✨
15/12/2025

Family time!!! 🐾🤍✨

Most organisations assume that the important conversations are happening somewhere.My research suggested there is often ...
15/12/2025

Most organisations assume that the important conversations are happening somewhere.
My research suggested there is often a sizeable gap. Instead of being addressed directly, issues are worked around, delayed, diluted or pushed upwards.
This gap has a cost. It creates frustration, slows progress and leaves people guessing about what is really going on.
Closing the conversation gap is less about asking people to “speak up more” and more about building systems and cultures where it feels natural and safe to do so.

When people hear “difficult conversation”, they often imagine conflict or breakdown.Yet many participants in my research...
14/12/2025

When people hear “difficult conversation”, they often imagine conflict or breakdown.
Yet many participants in my research described positive experiences. When handled thoughtfully, these conversations led to increased trust, clearer relationships and stronger teams.
Discomfort was still present, but it became productive. People understood each other better, expectations were clarified and long-standing issues were resolved.
This reframe matters. Difficult conversations are not just something to survive. They can be turning points.

“Be brave” is common advice around difficult conversations.The intention is usually encouraging, but it places the burde...
13/12/2025

“Be brave” is common advice around difficult conversations.
The intention is usually encouraging, but it places the burden on individuals to overcome fear in systems that may not be safe.
Bravery should not be the price of accountability. If people have to be heroic in order to speak honestly, something is wrong with the environment.
Our aim should be workplaces where people can raise issues as a normal part of how we work together, not as an act of personal courage every time.

We sometimes talk about “open conversations” as if everyone in the room has the same level of comfort and power.In reali...
12/12/2025

We sometimes talk about “open conversations” as if everyone in the room has the same level of comfort and power.
In reality, every conversation is shaped by hierarchy, perceived consequences, cultural norms and questions of identity and belonging.
If these dynamics are ignored, people will self-censor. They say what feels safe rather than what feels true.
Designing for better conversations means acknowledging power, not pretending it is not there. It also means paying attention to whose voices are missing or quieter.

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