Difficult Conversations

September 25, 2023

Happy Monday everyone! Lots going on in the Cleveland Product community this week, so let’s get to it!

Article of the Week

As Product people, we often are involved in lots of conversations around very important topics within are organization. Strategy and solutioning conversations. Partnerships and prioritizations. Budgets and funding.

Sometimes these conversations can result in disagreements, and may even get heated. I read an article recently by Ken Norton about how to have tough conversations, and the article introduced me to The Third Story. This approach helps to quickly address the situation and allow all parties to learn from it and quickly move beyond it. Ken breaks it down into 5 steps:

  1. What Happened - Think through the scenario and how you and your colleague got there, trying to be as objective as possible.

  2. Explore Your Emotions - Human beings are complex, and sometimes emotions drive our reactions, so be aware of the emotions that were involved.

  3. Ground Your Identity - Figure out why each party reacted the way they did. What is their role? What is important to them? What’s at stake for each party, yourself included?

  4. Check Your Purposes - What drives you, and what were you looking to accomplish in the interaction or meeting. What behaviors prevented that from occurring?

  5. Write the “Third Story” - Think of the interaction from your perspective, but also the other party’s perspective. Consider telling each other’s story from the perspective of a neutral party.

Click the Read Article button below to read how this method to improve your relationships and conversations!

Recent Events

We had another energetic Product Lean Coffee last week, this time with two tables joining in on the fun! Join us next month, won’t you?

Product Jobs of the Week

The Product roles at Cleveland companies keep rolling in!

Upcoming Events

  • October 2nd-4th - INDUSTRY the Product Conference is happening right here in Cleveland, and the first 10 Cleveland Product members can get in for just $399 (regularly $1,245). To claim one of these heavily discounted passes, register on the INDUSTRY conference website and use the code ClevelandProductVIP.

  • October 10th - Product Lean Coffee @ Sweet P’s Cafe & Bakery

  • October 20th - Executive Storytelling with Justin Hunsaker (virtual)

About the Author

My name is Shawn Leitner. I started the Cleveland Product networking group in 2017, which helps to connect Product professionals around Cleveland, providing them with a forum to network, learn, and share stories. For my day job, I'm a Product Consultant & Coach for Pathfinder Product and help clients implement strong Product practices so they can create products that their teams love building and their customers love using. Connect with me on LinkedIn or feel free to attend one of my events either virtually or in-person. Always up for meeting for a cup of coffee also!