Situations are complex, especially at work. There are countless circumstances to deal with every week.  Which ones should you take on? Which ones should be let go?  The truth is that there is no right answer, because there is no way of ensuring how the conversation will turn out, even if you give it your best shot.

Regardless, when you do make the decision to take on a situation and communicate your angle, ask yourself; is the real conflict inside of you?  Sometimes what’s difficult about a situation is much more related to what is going on inside of you, versus what is going on between you and someone else.  In this case, focusing on the conversation isn’t going to pay off.  You may as well complete the conflict within yourself. 

With all the leadership change materials that have been written, published and presented, you would think that we would have it all down pat by now.  Yet, every day we see that certain kinds of change are always easy to make; increasing and decreasing budgets, maintaining strategic alliances, arranging a merger—The fact is that these bold strokes are not what create sustainable change in the organization; it is the long marches that pay off.