Building Confidence in Uncomfortable Conversations

I've never been great at uncomfortable conversations. Not at work, and not at home.

There was always something in me that zeroed in on the uncomfortable aspects and amplified my anxiety. I'm sure there are plenty of explanations I could research to understand why but that's not the aim of this post (maybe another time).

Every tough discussion felt like a minefield and I couldn't help but want to avoid them altogether. As I got older, and wiser, I learned that the difficult, challenging parts of life are where real growth happens. I began exploring ways to practice and overcome this tendency.

One important thing I learned that was surprising, was that you can build confidence in discomfort. Through consistent practice and by meeting the challenge, I started to feel confidence in myself during these difficult, anxiety-producing discussions. I no longer wanted to avoid them; instead, I reframed them and focused on the purpose of the conversation.

The lightbulb moment came when I stopped fixating on how awkward or tense things felt and began to focus on the purpose. Most of the time it's about trust; other times it's about clarity or mutual understanding.

You see, the goal is never to "win" the moment, but to navigate it with honesty and respect.

That mindset shift changed everything for me. I stopped avoiding the minefield and began appreciating them as opportunities to grow as a communicator and a leader.

Quick practical steps I would love to tell my younger self: - Reframe: identify the conversation's purpose before you start. - Prepare: plan a concise opening and one desired outcome. - Practice: role-play with a friend (or AI), or rehearse aloud, then reflect afterwards.

Learning never ends, but now every uncomfortable moment feels like progress and not pain.