NURS 5325 Organizational & Systems Leadership

Difficult Conversations Self-Reflections Assignment Template

Respond to questions 1-8 with complete sentences. Spelling and grammar should be correct. Logical
flow of your thoughts should be evident. Fill in this template. There is NO NEED to use citations &
references. Your submission should not exceed 4 pages. Use the rubric to guide you. Please name your
file & upload it into the appropriate assignment tab in Canvas upon completion.

1. What opening statement from the assigned blog did you use to begin the conversation? Provide
the rationale for your choice. Did you clearly state your employee’s concerning behavior at the
start of the meeting?

The opening statement that I chose is “I’ve noticed a recurring conversation we seem to have
which is your time and attendance, I’d like to see why this happens”. I decided to go with this
opening statement since it acknowledges the fact that we are going to have a conversation and it
is addressing the problem at hand, which is the time and attendance, with this statement I clearly
stated my employee's concerning behavior from the very beginning of our meeting.

2. Describe how you prepared for your role as leader of a crucial conversation. Be sure to include
how you utilized information from the assigned blog to prepare to lead the conversation. Also
describe how you incorporated information from the Crucial Conversations video into your
preparation

As a leader I prepared for this crucial conversation by taking some deep breaths and
acknowledging my stress. I calmed my mind and my body first before I started the crucial
conversation. From the assigned blog I followed the plan of Inquiry, Acknowledgement, Advocacy
and Problem solving. At the beginning I acknowledged that there is an issue, and I made myself
aware about the goal which is to resolve the issue. This conversation was led by the goal of coming
up with a solution that benefits both the employer and employee. I incorporated “Trust” by making
eye contact and offering solutions to the problems the employee was mentioning. I also made
casual conversation at the beginning by asking how he is doing to gain some trust.

3. Describe the information you utilized from the chapter, blog and video to guide the conversation.
How did the conversation you imagined and prepared for differ from the actual conversation?
In the chapter I learned about the importance of reducing noise, giving positive feedback, and receiving
feedback. I made sure the area was quiet when I joined my meeting to avoid any distractions, and I gave
positive feedback by letting my employee know that he is doing a great job. I also provided many pauses
where my employee was able to explain his situation in a way where the conversation was not rushed.

The conversation I imagined differed from this one since the one I imagined I was more stressed out and
less collected. Once I started to speak to my employee and listened, I better understood the problem which
helped calm my stress.

4. After watching the video, what did your non-verbal cues reveal? Did they match your intention?

For my nonverbal cues I tried to be as open as possible but unfortunately, I caught myself looking up or
around the room. I tried to keep eye contact the entire time, but it was a little hard to do that for the
duration of the meeting. It was not my intention to seem distracted.

5. Share impressions of your communication in your role as employee. Describe the constructive
elements of your responses. What aspects of the conversation do you wish you had handled
differently and why?

As an employee I was open to conversation about work gossip. I thought deeply into my responses and
kept an open mind. I also explained my behavior and I was open to negative feedback. I wish I would’ve
perceived the conversation differently in a way I felt accused.

6. Peer Critique: Describe your impression of whether your partner thoughtfully prepared to lead the
conversation. Provide rationale for your impression.

I think my partner was prepared. I do not think he thoughtfully prepared, but it all worked out in
the end. I felt accused about “thinking I am better than everyone else”. I did not think that was
professional to mention. As this sounds more like workplace gossip towards the employee. My
employer mentioned that this is just what people are saying about me, but I think employers
should only speak facts with evidence and not start workplace gossip.

7. Describe how the leader's handling of the discussion made you feel. Include comments about their
non-verbal cues.
The leader made me feel accused and like a bad person. I wish that I would’ve felt more like a bad
employee, but this sounded very personal. As far as nonverbal cues there was a lot of eye contact, but the
body was very closed, and arms and hands crossed made me feel like it was not a welcoming atmosphere. I
felt like I just had to say “yes, I will work on it” even though I truly did not agree with certain statements he
was making.

8. Summative Reflection: How will you apply this communication practice in the roles of leader and
employee to your professional life? Please share your sincere impressions of whether this was a
worthwhile experience for you.

I will apply this communication practice to my role as a Nurse Practitioner by following the format of the
blog. I truly appreciated the blog, and I will refer to some of the opening statements that were mentioned.
This experience was very stressful due to my partner not being responsive, but I do think it is important to
practice these difficult conversations. I think I had to overcome not showing how upset I was during my
phone call with my partner, and it was difficult to set it all aside and be professional for my assignment. I
feel like I have to face two separate problems at the same time. It was very hard, but I am glad that I am
professional enough to handle these types of situations.

Copy and paste the Zoom recording link AND password below.

Note: I started the Zoom call but my device was not able to record the meeting, so my partner
recorded the meeting on his device.
My partner converted the recording into MP3 and uploaded it to YouTube since he was not sure
how to get a link or password to the meeting.
I tried from my end, but I do not see an option to view the recordings.
The YouTube recording is the best thing I have at the moment…. I hope this is acceptable.

https://youtu.be/bTCqa9EVShE

Thank you