How Successful People Stay Cool During Tough Conversations

A colleague of mine is fond of saying, “Work is easy; people are hard.” And it’s so true. The work itself would be a cakewalk if it weren’t for the minefield of politics, sensitivity, expectation, and ego. And when it’s time to have a tough conversation, from letting someone down to letting someone go, well, it can be stressful. If you’ve ever lain awake at night, running through dress rehearsals of what someone could or might say, you know what I mean.