How to have difficult conversations with employees

One of the most challenging parts of being a boss—whether you have one direct report or hundreds—is having difficult conversations. Maybe you have an employee who is floundering, or you realize that there’s an unfair pay gap between workers. Maybe you need to be honest about a specific business challenge or failure. Whatever the issue is, direct and clear communication is essential, even when that can be challenging. 

“One of the hardest things for managers to do is give their direct reports critical, negative feedback,” writes contributor Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. “It’s the kind that helps them understand what they are doing wrong, what they could do better, and where there is a gap between their current and expected performance.” 

It’s important to treat these conversations as a dialogue, not a top-down lecture, and to seek a better understanding of where the other person is coming from, writes contributor Edward Mady.“ I often begin by asking the person to tell me something they thought they did particularly well,” says Mady. “After that, you can ask why it’s been difficult to repeat that success. Remember, your job as a manager is to assess their strengths so you can build the best leadership team for your business.”

Managers should also prioritize direct communication about larger company changes and structural issues. For instance, as part of Fast Company’s CEO Fair Pay Report, contributor Mita Mallick provides a three-step method for how leaders should address the pay gap between executives and employees, including the very important step of communicating your pay philosophy to your employees.