Triad Consulting Group

Our team is growing! We are #hiring at Triad Consulting Group and are seeking a talented, accomplished Operations leader to lead Triad's operations function. https://lnkd.in/e7mUKt-d

We are #hiring at Triad Consulting Group! We are looking for an accomplished Principal Consultant to join our sought-after consultancy and wonderful team.

We are #hiring at Triad Consulting Group! We are looking for an accomplished Principal Consultant to join our sought-after consultancy and wonderful team.

With the release of the 3rd edition of Difficult Conversations, there are many questions about what’s different. Why this edition, why now?  This edition is shaped by how much we’ve learned since the 2nd edition was released over a decade ago. It’s also influenced by the ways our world—the ways all of us—have and are changing. So, how are difficult conversations evolving? From new topics that are emerging, to who is having the conversation, to the new forums & mediums in which they take place, there are so many changes. Here's two observations we've had: 1. They continue to be hard, but not only are they possible, but with the right skills they are worth it. Social and cultural changes will continue to add complexity to the conversations we are having. Still, if more people are equipped with the skills to have those conversations, we become better at the conversation, and on getting to a mutually good outcome. Key skills? - Curiosity, which takes practice (it’s not just something you have, it’s something you can actively do) - Acknowledging, honestly, our strong feelings and the “identity quakes” these conversations cause instead of burying or masking them - Orienting preparation around clarifying your purposes, not on scripting   2. The difficult conversations we find ourselves in today are not only the result of change, they can be catalysts for change. With practice and the right tools, challenging discussions hold the possibility of learning, understanding, and growth together. As leaders become more capable of tackling tough topics with their teams and colleagues, they can effectively lead through the immense amount of change we regularly encounter.   We’d love to learn and hear from you… How do you see your difficult conversations evolving?   #DifficultConversations #executiveeducation #leadership

Last summer, we were delighted to see our book, Thanks for the Feedback, included in the McKinsey & Company annual summer reading guide, alongside some of the most talked about books of 2022 centered on paving a path to a better future. Now here we are again: Summer is behind us and fall is in the air. For many of us, that means performance conversations of some kind are on the horizon. These conversations are often fraught with anxiety, confusion, or frustration (no matter what side of the conversation we’re on). At Triad, we have the privilege of working with clients on how to make feedback and performance conversations more useful, more honest, and more meaningful. When you are the giver or the receiver, if you are preparing for feedback and performance reviews, here’s a tip to shift your mindset as you go into the conversation: What are your purposes for this conversation? As human beings, we often show up in these conversations with a range of purposes, some of which are helpful and some of which are not. Purposes like “showing them I’m right” or “just get it over with” are natural, but can undermine us. Other purposes like “create awareness so that they can achieve their goal” or “identify one thing I can integrate into next year” empower us to show up with a balance of candor, care, and curiosity. With purposes like those leading us, the conversation fosters learning, growth, and development, and even builds relationships. Whether we are giving the review or receiving it, we’re both better equipped to pave a path to a better future. So be honest with yourself when taking stock of your purposes—set aside the unhelpful purposes and be guided by the productive ones. We wish you well in your year-end conversations and if you’re interested in learning more, contact us at Triad Consulting Group here: https://lnkd.in/g8AsUgwx #triadconsultinggroup #performanceconversations #difficultconversations #thanksforthefeedback #leadership

At Triad, we help people discuss what matters most. Often, the real issues that need to be discussed are hard to talk about. Take feedback and performance conversations—top of mind in many organizations right now as we approach the end of the calendar year. They’re essential, but are also the source of some of our greatest anxiety and frustration, no matter what side of the conversation we’re on. It’s why we often avoid them. But feedback is more than a conversation. As we say at Triad, it’s a relationship. So the tools and frameworks we’ve developed to help you navigate the conversation more skillfully are really tools that help you cultivate genuine, trust-based relationships over time. And that gives you a solid foundation to stand on when a hard conversation needs to be had.   Many of the practices we offer are the same practices you need to develop your ‘Emotional Intelligence’ (EI or EQ). Contrary to popular belief, EI isn’t just something you have (or don’t have!), it’s something you do—something you can develop through training and practice.    EI has always been critical for performance, and recent research from McKinsey & Company shows the need for social-emotional skills is only going to grow. Yet many organizations lack the formal training or tools to develop or leverage EI skills in their workforce.    CNBC’s Morgan Smith shares even more research on the topic, as well as some great tips for strengthening your EI in this article. ►We’d love to hear what kinds of programs your company does (or doesn’t) have in place to develop your EI and help build colleagues’ relationships throughout the organization. #difficultconversations #emotionalintelligence #feedback #executiveeducation

What can the infamous football-turned-soccer coach teach us about having a difficult conversation? Triad’s Debbie Goldstein explored the related topic as a panelist at an event, “Negotiating Like Ted Lasso: A Deep Dive into Strategies and Tactics,” with Keld Jensen, Joshua Weiss, and Dave Wolovsky.   You might not imagine a fictional character can teach us anything about how to tackle our hardest conversations, but in a famous dart-throwing scene from season one, Ted shares some of our favorite wisdom, which we think is directly applicable:    “Be curious, not judgmental.”    At Triad Consulting Group we believe that If we can shift our mindset, even in our hardest conversations, from certainty to curiosity, we’re sure to create better relationships and have more of the conversations that matter most.  Even with our new boss’s nefarious ex-husband who is set on sabotaging our team? Just maybe?   #tedlasso #difficultconversations #triadconsultinggroup #leadershipdevelopment #conversationsthatmatter 

When you have a conversation with someone, how often do you find yourself listening vs. talking? In our 2+ decades helping others discuss what matters most, we’ve consistently seen our human preference for advocacy (to talk about our perspective) over curiosity (to listen). We all do this (yes, even us!) — it’s an entirely normal default, and yet, it inadvertently undercuts our effectiveness when navigating our difficult but important conversations.   Minda Zetlin, author of the book Career Self Care, has written about our preference for doing the talking, and how a different approach can set us up for better, more productive conversations. She suggests 3 things we can do:   🤫 Use the “43:57 rule” The 43:57 rule encourages us to spend 43% of the conversation actively listening and understanding the other person's perspective while letting the other person speak 57% of the time. Don’t worry if your ratio is a little off — what matters is that we talk less and listen more because this approach fosters mutual understanding, and respect, leading to constructive problem-solving.   👂🏾 Practice Active Listening As you’ll read in Difficult Conversations, “You can’t move the conversations in a more positive direction until the other person feels heard and understood. And they don’t feel heard and understood until you’ve listened.” A simple way to check for understanding and communicate that you’ve been listening is to say, “I think I hear you saying _______; does that seem right?”   ❓ Ask Questions Curiosity is vital to having and improving conversations. Some of our favorite questions are: ·   Can you say a little more about how you see things? ·   What information might you have that I don’t? ·   What impact have my actions had on you?   The takeaway: the outcomes of our difficult conversations are vastly improved when we not only think about saying the right things but focus our energy on genuinely listening to understand.    Do you want to build your listening skills for your organization or team? Get in touch…we’d love to listen and learn more about the challenges you’re facing and what you’re hoping to achieve.   Hashtags: #DifficultConversations #executiveeducation #leadership

Triad Consulting Group founders, Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone are delivering a virtual book discussion on Difficult Conversations (3rd edition) this Thursday on LinkedIn live through The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School! Tune in to hear more about this new edition, what they've learned in the last dozen years, and what we continue to explore when it comes to difficult conversations in all areas of life. Click the "attend" button on the link below to register and "share" to spread the news. Interested in learning more and understanding how Triad can support you in your difficult conversations? Contact us at info@diffcon.com #difficultconversations #triadconsultinggroup

Are you a lifelong learner? At Triad, we often think of difficult conversations as, yes, difficult...but also as learning conversations, a chance to grow and move towards something better. Having just celebrated the release of the 3rd edition of our book, Difficult Conversations, written by Triad co-founders Sheila Heen and Doug Stone, we've been reflecting on what we've learned over the years. The answer to what we've learned is: so much. Too much for a single LinkedIn post. But two observations from our time working with clients, teaching in the classroom, writing books, and, of course, having our own difficult conversations include: ►The challenges we navigate today feel as big—maybe bigger—than ever, but the core skills that humans need to work better, together, are the same: -Leaning into curiosity, knowing that listening is more than not talking -Recognizing that my view may be entirely legitimate, but by its very nature, is limited -Making discussable the strong feelings and identity threats that difficult conversations and relationships often create ►Power is present and matters (a lot) Work is full of power imbalances that can be tricky, complicated—even costly— to navigate. And yet, awareness and acknowledgment of power imbalances provide an opportunity for more leaders to make a shift that helps others feel valued, appreciated, and heard.  Learning alongside the countless organizations, communities, leaders, and individuals that have invited us into some of their most difficult conversations has been nothing short of a privilege. Of course, our learning is never done, we know there's so much more to come. We'd love to hear from you in the comments…what have you learned about difficult conversations? #DifficultConversations #learning #leadership Photo: Sheila Heen and Doug Stone, Founders of Triad Consulting Group and best-selling authors of Difficult Conversations and Thanks for the Feedback