Come December. Come appraisals. The time to assess. The time to decide. The time to do. The time to hold “thee” conversation. You look at the calendar and say “Still some weeks to go”. You heave a quick sigh of relief. You gulp down the unpleasant feeling that was building up. You bury the dread. This feeling of dread is not uncommon. Many people find it hard to converse on topics that are “sensitive”.

This sensitivity may not be personal. This sensitivity may be taken personally. It becomes a clash of opinions. It becomes a clash of perceptions. It becomes a “clash”. The conversation that was supposed to take you to development and betterment ends up in bitterness, creating the circle of avoidance, lack of connect and lack of growth.

Do people dislike bad news? Do people reject being told their flaws? Do people live in self-delusion? Yes and No. Yes, because the mind’s eye does not want to see the bad, even if it has bad impact. It is known as the Ostrich Effect. People may avoid news about an impending economic crash, health check-ups, or exam results, feedback session with boss, etc.

This is so because ignorance provides temporary bliss, postponing the anxiety associated with the bad news. It is not just the receivers but also the givers of news who dread these conversations. The good manager feels his image will be affected if he is seen as this bad news messenger.

The messenger is evasive, the recepient is dodging it and the end result is a disaster. According to a study done by a workplace resource company called Bravely, 70 percent of employees are avoiding difficult conversations at work.

At the same........

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