Top tips for navigating challenging conversations
At Grasshopper, one of the most positive elements of the work being undertaken by our stakeholder and community engagement team is the opportunity to talk to a wide variety of community members.
On the flip side of this, one of the most challenging parts of the job is the need to sometimes navigate challenging conversations with members of the community who find themselves particularly impacted by, concerned about or unhappy in principle about some of the projects we are working on.
This is particularly relevant during consultation events, but also can be the case when managing day-to-day enquiries such as by phone.
Ensuring project team members are equipped to be able to defuse difficult conversations and have the skills and confidence to navigate dialogue to ensure a positive and productive outcome is essential.
Ultimately, community members want to feel heard, and it is our job to make sure that happens, whilst also protecting the wellbeing of our team members.
A useful approach we have found when conversations become more difficult is the LEAPS model, which sets out some top tips for team members facing confrontation:
Listen
and let the person know that you are taking notes and ask them to explain their position.
Make sure you understand the key points being raised.
Empathise
although not necessarily while agreeing e.g. “I understand why you might think that”.
Ask
find out the facts. What are the actual reasons for the beliefs being put forward?
Try to identify where any misunderstandings or wrong assumptions may have come from.
Paraphrase
to check you can accurately represent the person’s views e.g. “Just to recap, these are your comments.’
Be clear about the points raised.
Summarise
the actions you will take and make sure you communicate how you will get back to them. Agree the action points.