J.C.Maxwell’s fifth “Upfront Expectation” is that “There will be tough conversations.” We all have had tough situations between ourselves and any relationship. Some we choose not to address but in the strong, quality relationships we talk about with each other. It definitely helps to have these tough conversations if we have been upfront about how we will deal with them when they come up. In our businesses, classrooms and some of our homes, we have created a list of expectations as a team/family. There are many names for such a list, social contract, family beliefs, mission statements, or whatever a team decides upon. It is crucial that such lists are created by the entire team agreeing to such values. We know through research that everything has a positive and a negative and so do relationships. The healthy teams agree that when there are tough situations, we’ll talk about what needs to be fixed and the solution. Maxwell says, “The people who do well together will be having these tough conversations. What are your Upfront Conversations?” And, are you having them?
