When I was in my twenties, I left what could have been a promising job (and career path) largely because I was too afraid to confront an issue that was weighing me down. It was all just too hard, too scary, too awkward. So I opted to resign instead.
On my final day, the senior partner of the firm (a large multinational consulting firm) invited me into his office and asked me why I was leaving. Deciding I may as well be candid since I was leaving anyway, I told him the truth. How my boss hadn’t been supportive and how I’d not been given some of the opportunities I’d been promised when they had recruited me.
He looked at me rather sadly and replied, “I wished you’d come to talk to me about this. I would have done something.”
It was a profound lesson about the price we pay when we let our fear of an awkward conversation keep us from speaking up, respectfully but candidly, about the issues that are weighing us down.
And, of course, this price isn’t just one we can pay in our careers and professional lives. It’s one we can pay in our marriages, our friendships and families as well.
As I’ve shared in my latest podcast, sometimes the conversations we most need to have are often those we least want to have.
Deciding that you will not let your fear of having an awkward conversation can open the door to a whole new world of possibilities in every aspect of your life.
I created my Courageous Conversations Masterclass to help you do just that. To speak up with greater confidence in ways that build trust, address tensions, resolve conflict and open a new pathway to enjoying more of what you want – influence, connection, opportunity – and less of what you don’t!
If you’d love a little inspiration to help you step out of your conversational comfort zone, take a listen to my latest podcast. And if you think you could benefit from some more support still, check out my Courageous Conversations Masterclass here.
Just remember, if there’s something you genuinely want to say, chances are someone genuinely needs to hear it.
So be brave. Speak up. Your voice matters. And your relationships depend on it.
