Difficult conversations

• RCVS Leadership Library: Lisa Hall - difficult conversations (13:00) 
  RCVS Director of People Lisa Hall offers practical guidance on handling difficult conversations. Her advice draws on tools from the bestselling book Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny. 

• What to be mindful of - and how ‘Fierce Conversations’ can help (4:00) 
  Leadership expert Susan Scott shares practical tips for meaningful conversations and explains why strong human connection is essential for effective leadership. 

• Tips for how to handle difficult conversations (2:00) 
  A short video fromVeterinarian's Money Digest in which Linda Fineman DVM DACVIM offers practical advice for managing challenging discussions with clients and team members. 

• The secret to giving great feedback (5:00) 
  Cognitive psychologist LeeAnn Renninger provides a clear, four-step approach to giving feedback, from The Way We Work TED Talk series. 

Articles and blogs

• Courageous conversations in veterinary medicine (5 min) - Best, C., DVM PhD, EquiManagement
  Offers practical strategies to reduce stress when delivering difficult messages to clients and colleagues. 

• From difficult to transformative: the art of handling those hard-to-have conversations (5 min) - Bassa, B., Advance HE 
  Explores how difficult conversations can become opportunities for growth, with tips on preparation and mindset. 

• Dealing with difficult workplace conversations (3 min) - Brown, A., People Management 
  Outlines three practical approaches managers can use to handle challenging discussions. 

• How to give feedback constructively (5 min) - Hill, E., Chartered Management Institute 
  Provides guidance on delivering constructive feedback, including recognising bias and the impact of stereotypes. 

Tools and practical resources 

• Challenging conversations and how to manage them (PDF) (35 min) 
  Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) guidance for managers on planning and delivering difficult conversations. 

• Handling difficult conversations (read time varies)  
  A set of Chartered Management Institute resources, including a guide to the ten most challenging workplace conversations. 

• A coaching approach to feedback (PDF) (15 min) 
  An RCVS resource exploring the benefits of coaching-style feedback and introducing John Whitmore’s Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward (GROW) framework. 

• GROW feedback framework: coaching questions (PDF) (10 min) 
  An RCVS resource providing practical questions to use at each stage of the GROW feedback process.