As a household employer or manager of household staff, you will eventually need to have difficult conversations. If you are seeking practical, professional, and effective strategies, techniques, and best practices to help you navigate difficult conversations with staff, you will find them here.

Prior to the Conversation

If you know that a difficult conversation is on the horizon, there are steps you can take beforehand to help you prepare mentally and emotionally.

First, it is important to define your best possible outcome of the conversation. Doing this will help you stay on track and avoid emotional distractions.

The next step is to gather as many supporting facts as possible for the statements you plan to discuss.

The most respectful and professional way to have a difficult conversation with an employee is to do so privately and one on one, with plenty of time to have a thorough discussion.

Finally, it is crucial to consider your employee’s perspective on the matter at hand and how they are affected emotionally by the challenges they are facing.

Practical Communication Techniques

Knowing how you will approach the conversation is essential to ensuring a positive outcome.

Many times, it is the beginning of a conversation that presents the biggest challenge. The good news is that there are ways to frame the conversation in a positive manner.

Show genuine interest: Expressing honest interest in an employee’s view of an issue can help to accomplish many objectives.

Stay proactive: Criticizing an employee will only result in defensiveness. Instead, you can promote proactiveness and two-way dialogue.Feeling included: Asking an employee for their opinions and perspectives will demonstrate that they matter and help to encourage conversation.

Be present: Once your employee has begun to share information with you, it is important to employ active listening. Instead of thinking about a response while they are talking, focus your attention on what they are saying so that your response can be thoughtful and considerate.

Waste no time: After the ice is broken, commit to getting to the root of the issue and collaborating with your employee to reach a resolution.

Keep an eye on your emotions: Remain in charge of yourself throughout the conversation. Keep your emotions in check so that you can remain focused throughout.

Present clear standards and goals: You may ensure that your employee understands what you expect of them by being specific about your standards and goals.

Provide opportunities and tools for improvement: Offer training, support, and other resources to help your employee navigate their challenges.

Conversation’s End

Keeping the lines of communication open at the end of the conversation with Domestic Household Staff is essential. Let your employee know that you are always willing to talk, and that you will check in with them regularly.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Emotions can be high during difficult conversations at work, which can make it challenging to get to a positive outcome. Using the following strategies can help you to manage strong reactions.

Slow down: No matter what reaction your employee may be having, it is important to slow the conversation’s pace as much as possible. To do this, take a few seconds to think about what they have said and consider how you will respond. If tensions are too high to continue, suggest coming back to the conversation after an agreed amount of time.

Refuse to be distracted: Keeping your attention completely on your conversation with your employee is absolutely critical. That being said, put your phone on silent and turn off your computer screen until your conversation is finished.

Be empathetic: You can show respect for your employee by empathizing with them. Whether or not you agree with their views on the issue, it is important to acknowledge their feelings and communicate that you understand why they feel this way.

Knowing how to navigate difficult conversations with household staff can make them a positive, reassuring, and empowering experience that establishes trust.

Hiring Household Staff? Choose a Premier Agency

Having the above strategies and applying them to every conversation you have can take your staff performance management to the next level. If you are looking to hire new staff, working with a premier agency is the best way to find top talent.

Staffing at Tiffanie’s has been matching experienced and qualified Chefs, Nannies, Housekeepers, and other household staff with discerning homes for over 26 years.

Our refined and meticulous process begins with a comprehensive consultation, where we obtain every detail about what you seek in an employee.

These details are then used to create a custom-tailored job description, which we submit to our extensive network of exclusive connections. We discreetly source and send our top-tier candidates to you. We support and guide you at every step of the process.

Are you a qualified domestic professional seeking your next placement? If so, we welcome your application; apply here.