Are you mentally ready to be the owner of a company? Even though sometimes it’s really fun and games to be a business owner who has independence, a great lifestyle, financial rewards, bigger learning opportunities, creative freedom and personal satisfaction, it’s really hard to be a business owner every now and then. Everyone thinks about the positive and strong aspects of being in charge of a company, but no one thinks about the hardest parts. This is why we decided to talk about one of the most problematical aspects of being a business owner – stressful and morally difficult work conversations. Not that any of this should discourage you!
As a business owner, you are in charge of a big (or maybe small) team who highly depends on you and your decisions. At the same time, you are also the one who depends on their work and its quality: so everything should be perfected and finalized to a certain level.
Everything Has Its Time, and So Does Preparing!
Even if you are on the crest of a wave right now, stressful work conversations always have their impact on the way business owners, employees and everyone feel. Sometimes, employees, thinking that something really bad will happen, are so nervous that they either interrupt you, or stay silent all the time. This is why you have to plan the conversation ahead.
Contact your employee; tell them that you have to talk. But please, don’t say that phrase with a gloomy face, don’t scare them out! Done? Then start preparing! Take a piece of paper, write down all the points that you should talk about. Maybe the situation spins out of control and you, panic-stricken, forget about some vital points and the whole conversation will go down the drain.
Highlight all the things that you don’t like about their work and approaches. For example, are they always late? Or maybe they just can’t work in a team? Always get distracted? You’re the one who should notice that!
Speak Up Loud and Strong!
Yes, this is hilarious, but if you’re new to this field, you should practice! Saying everything out loud will help you hear your tone, your own voice, and all the aspects of your speech. If there’s something wrong in what you’re going to say, you’ll immediately understand!
Forget About Your Cheat Sheets, You’re Not in School Anymore!
Remember when we told you that you should write down all the important points? They are indeed important, but you don’t need to have them at your hand. If you want to give the impression of a professional who never avoids stressful situations, you should talk without any cheat sheets.
Your workers should see that you’re transparent with them. Even if this conversation is hard for you as a business owner, you should understand that your employees are afraid of the talk! For example, every meeting with you gives them the thought of losing their job, even if you want to talk about promotion! So, no matter how stressful it is for you, it’s way harder for them. Think from their perspective as well!