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Have the courage to be vulnerable. In the workplace, we’ve been programmed to believe that showing our emotions and being vulnerable about how we’re really doing is unprofessional. We often fear how our vulnerability will be perceived by our colleagues and leaders. We don’t want to see ourselves as “that employee.” As human beings, our emotions don’t stop because we’re in a Zoom meeting. A critical part of having a courageous conversation is being willing to be vulnerable about the issues that matter and honest about the outcome that we know we truly want. Vulnerability helps us see each other beyond the lenses of our job description. Vulnerability through courageous conversations can provide mutual encouragement, accountability, and growth.  

Have the courage to be intentional. Whether it be at the individual, team, or organizational level, what courageous conversations do you know still need to be had? I would also ask yourself what is the purpose of this conversation and what are the outcomes that I truly want to get out of it? Having a courageous conversation starts with being intentional about the why. You don’t have to wait until you are faced with an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claim to start embracing courageous conversations in your organization. Courageous conversations don’t always have to be related to negative issues in the workplace. They can also involve sharing a big idea with your boss or team. Being intentional about courageous conversations also means actively seeking clarity.  

Have the courage to be bold. When we hear the word “bold” in the workplace, we often associate it with arrogance or aggressiveness. We often think of someone who is bold as one who ignores caution and says what they want. But what if true boldness means that you care so much about your team and the people around you, that you have a sense of urgency to work through the risks and do something different that benefits everyone? Having courageous conversations means sometimes having the boldness to challenge workplace norms and office politics for the greater good of what’s right and healthy for everyone to thrive. Sometimes having courageous conversations means having the boldness to say, “This is not OK. But let’s work together to fix it.”