Managing a staff can be tough. Communication is key to the performance of your staff. Poynter faculty member Jill Geisler offers these tips on how to handle difficult conversations:

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For more on dealing with difficult conversations: This isn't supposed to be easy. Get over your fears and reservations. Prepare for the talk by asking yourself these questions. Learn how to deal with underperformers. Go to NewsU and take the free course “Dealing with Difficult Conversations.” Sign up to receive Jill Geisler's column, Leading Lines, by e-mail, click here.

1. Be clear about your goal. Know exactly what you want to accomplish in the conversation and why. Include “preserve the dignity of the other person” as part of your overall goal.

2. Know yourself. Specifically, know your “default style of conflict resolution. If you know that at heart you're a competitor, compromiser, collaborator, accommodator or avoider, you can determine if that style will serve you best or if circumstances require another approach.

3. Prepare. Gather the information you'll need. Think through how you want to handle the conversation. Don't hesitate to rehearse with someone else if you think the talk is going to be tricky.

4. Expect emotion. Emotion – yours and theirs- is a normal part of conflict and difficult conversations. Make certain you manage yours well. Don't let emotion overcome your reason. If the other person becomes angry, stay calm, defuse the tension and if need be, take a break.

5. Stay on track. The other person may try to deflect, deny, change the subject, or make you the subject of the conversation. Be prepared to herd the words back to your goal.

To read the rest of Geisler's tips go to “Walking the Tightrope: Dealing With Difficult Conversations.”

-- Kelli Polson