The Power of Conversations (ft. Andora Hinton)

The Power of Conversations (ft. Andora Hinton)

From difficult conversations to facing unconscious bias, managing our relationships is one of the most important— and powerful— ways to chart a course through our lives and careers.

GUEST BIO:

Andora Hinton is the founder and CEO of Willow North Growth Partners, a leadership development and sales training provider for corporations around the globe. Her goal is to help professionals transform both their professional and personal lives in a way that leads to monumental transformations in their work. Over the course of her career, she’s developed extensive knowledge on the strategies and techniques that lead to real results for both individuals and organizations.

Learn more about Andora Hinton:

• https://willownorth.com/about-us/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/andoragandy?trk=org-employees

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[2:19] -- Difficult Conversations, Essential Progress

The hardest conversations lead to the greatest breakthroughs

One constant in professional life is that relationships are always changing and evolving. A coworker becomes a boss, a close friend becomes a sometimes-difficult coworker, and a project doesn’t go as planned. Willingness to have— and prepare for— productive conflict is essential, even when it gets uncomfortable.

[8:28] -- Objective vs. Subjective Feedback

...and where they belong

Objective feedback is feedback that’s not based on an individual’s feelings, while subjective feedback can differ from one person to the next based on their opinions, circumstances, and perspectives. Both have a place, but objective feedback is less personal and can often be less damaging. Focus on behavior, rather than the person or their identity, and watch how difficult conversations become more productive.

[14:32] -- The Danger of Unconscious Bias

How can we correct biases we’re not even aware of consciously?

Want to reduce your biases? Start with self-awareness. Emotional intelligence is partially the ability to look inward and recognize where we fall short. Ask, “What if my thinking is wrong about X, Y, or Z?” Sometimes, you may not like the answer— but that’s a clue that it’s time to work on changing your perspective and evolving. Evolving is a beautiful thing.

[16:59] -- The Power of Walking Away

Sometimes you have to abandon ship

When a difficult conversation is going up in flames, how do you save it? Sometimes, the answer is to postpone it entirely. Andora advocates for an approach that sometimes requires one party to say, “Apparently this is not a great time for us to have this conversation. Let’s reconvene at another time.” Sometimes, simply rescheduling a conversation can ensure that both parties are in a better headspace for when it finally does occur.

[23:06] -- Don’t Wait. Conversate.

Delaying difficult conversations for too long can be damaging

Rescheduling a difficult conversation for a more opportune time is fine. Delaying it as a means of avoidance is dangerous. If you’ve waited three months to confront someone about an event that occurred months ago, often the problem is too deep, the details too fuzzy, and the biases about the event too hard coded to make real progress. The best time to have a difficult conversation is yesterday. The second-best time is today.

[25:27] -- Key Takeaways

Can’t-miss tips from this week’s episode 

• Focus on managing your emotions throughout difficult conversations
• Share the ‘why’
• Work on reducing your unconscious bias
• See conflict as a result of an unmet need
• Practice having difficult conversations, like any skill
• Prepare in advance for conversations, keeping in mind your desired outcome
• Timing is key— have a conversation as soon as possible, while accounting for unhelpful mindsets that could derail you

RESOURCES:

• [0:18] - AIDS Healthcare Foundation
• [1:19] - Willow North Partners
• [13:35] - Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey

FOLLOW:

• Follow Andora: https://willownorth.com/about-us/
• Follow Lauren