Nobody likes to have tricky conversations. Mostly we avoid them because we haven’t been taught how. We fear that we will get it wrong, make it worse, or get criticised. We hope it will go away or someone else will do it.

So what do we do if a tricky conversation has our name on it?

It could be with our children, our parents, our neighbours, our clients, our workmates, a friend?

It could be a misunderstanding, someone has made a mistake, you are not asking for what you want, or not being completely honest?

It could be that you need to revisit a rubbish conversation or address an elephant in the room?

It could be a performance review or a dreaded conversation with the boss?

Good communication improves almost every tricky situation. Things left unsaid no longer pollute the relationship, niggles don't become elephants. Bad behaviour improves - theirs and ours.

We feel relieved as we are no longer walking through a battlefield or walking on eggshells. Everyone can breath out.