Techniques for sensitive discussions

At times you will need to tread carefully when delivering feedback. Certain situations can quickly become volatile because of the personalities involved, or perhaps they are part of a wider and more passionate debate. Being direct and honest with your feedback doesn't absolve you of the responsibility to be diplomatic and respectful; remember that more eyes are on you as a manager as people expect you to be a role model in the department. I'm going to assume that I don't need to train you how to have a stand-up argument with someone, so instead we'll focus on some elegant and subtle techniques for getting your point across effectively when there's a more senior person and a keg of dynamite in the room with you.

Preframing the event

A pre-frame consists of the thoughts and feelings that you focus on about an event before you begin to deal with it. For example, if you have previously had cross words with someone in the past and need to debate an emotive issue...