Adapted from Aguilar, E. (2019, September 12). How to Address Tough Topics in Staff Meetings. Retrieved from
https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-address-tough-topics-staff-meetings
Reflection and Process for Raising Difficult Topics in Meetings
Regardless of whether you are a positional leader or not, you can facilitate a conversation about a
challenging topic. There’s probably no perfect time, but just getting started will help. Here are a few
strategies that help ease the way.
Taking time to write and reflect in advance also will help you clarify your thinking and ensure you hone
in on the heart of your concerns.
State the topic
Complete the following sentence stems to name the issue. Be sure you’re clear and an
encapsulate the issue in a phrase or short sentence.
I feel like there’s an elephant in the room. I’d like to talk about…
Share your intentions
Sharing intentions at the outset allows for people to hear your concerns without telling a story
about what they think your intentions are. What do you want people to do with the issue you’re
naming?
My intent in raising this topic is…
Acknowledge fear
It’s important to name your fear, as most people who raise tough topics are often fearful of the
consequences. Naming fears can be disarming in a group setting.
Write down what you might say here:
Now take a deep breath. Take another one when you name this issue in a meeting. And restate the topic.
