08/20/2025
✨✨How do you prepare for tough conversations?✨✨
(no no no... a boxing ring and gloves are not required!)
🔹 Whether it’s having to give “bad news” to someone you love, terminating an employee, calling out a performance issue, or having to enforce a boundary, the mental prep we do before we walk into the “room” often determines if the conversation ends in clarity — or escalation to a metaphorical boxing ring.
Here are 5 steps I share in my coaching & training sessions to help prepare AND stay grounded:
1️⃣ Clarify Your Intention – Anchor on ONE clear outcome you want the other person to walk away with.
2️⃣ Anticipate Emotions – Map out the range of likely reactions (theirs and yours), and decide how you’ll stay steady if emotions flare.
3️⃣ Regulate Your Nervous System – 3 slow breaths, yes... shocking! a steady dose of oxygen and release of that carbon dioxide carrying out your tension helps!
4️⃣ Script Your Opening Line – The first 30 seconds set the tone. Keep it clear, neutral, and respectful.
5️⃣ Plan for Pauses - both parties need time to process, to let information synch in and create space for understanding... the last thing to do is to rush out of the discomfort.
6️⃣ Visualize the Endgame – Picture yourself leaving lighter in your head and heart, and the other person leaving feeling heard and understood (even if they disagree! ).
✨ Pro tip: Copy/paste these steps in your phone notes. A quick glance before walking into a meeting can shift your entire mindset.
👉 If you often find yourself carrying the weight of hard conversations alone, know this: you don’t have to. I work confidentially with those who need a safe, judgment-free space to strategize, reset and recharge.
DM me with the words “Reset me Coach” and we’ll go from there! 😉
