During Monday's class we were able to have a guest lecturer, Chris Armijo, via Skype call. The technology was surprisingly cooperative, which was a relief following Professor Bonica's difficulty in technical presence during his conference.
Major Armijo spent a majority of his time explaining his experiences and how he got to where he is. His stories were interesting, his journey through the reserves and then active duty were not typical.
Towards the end of the class he was addressing the topics outlined ahead of time. He was discussing difficult conversations, many points that Kyle and I had made last week, when I was able to ask a question that I have been wondering about since my last job and our presentation. Kyle and I felt it was more inline with the class to discuss things from the manager's perspective but I had questions about difficult conversations initiated by the junior employee. Major Armijo stressed the importance of being prepared. Having data, stories, and a concrete plan going forward is very important. He explained that if we are looking for a specific outcome, we need to voice that, otherwise we are leaving it up to the manager to guess what we want.
During our presentation we discussed the importance of having a plan in mind before beginning the conversation. Major Armijo explained that it is important regardless of the initiator.
I really enjoyed talking with Chris, he gave great advice on difficult conversations and tips on how to make them better. Like you said, planning ahead before the conversation and having the conversation in a neutral area where both parties feel comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI felt bad I kept him going about his career for longer than I intended, but I felt like if you guys didn't have his background, his other comments wouldn't necessarily make sense.
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