The Art of Delicate Conversations, featuring No. 1 Startup Coach Alisa Cohn

The Seismic Shift with Michelle K. Johnston

As leaders, it’s essential that we master the art of the delicate conversation to foster connection among the people we lead. But delicate conversations are just that … delicate, and it’s tempting to put them off. Today on The Seismic Shift, Michelle sits down with the world’s no. 1 startup coach, Alisa Cohn, to dive into how to have those delicate conversations we all dread, and how to have them well.

To open the episode, Michelle invites Alisa to share her incredible story of reinventing her career at 27 years-old and becoming one of the world’s most sought-after startup coaches. Michelle then pulls from the scripts Alisa outlines in her bestselling book, and together the two illustrate for us how to have some of the delicate conversations many leaders face. From delivering bad news to your staff to walking an employee through why you don’t believe they’re ready for a promotion right now, Alisa shows us how to have these delicate conversations in a way that builds trust and connection. Michelle and Alisa’s conversation concludes with Alisa sharing her insights into how managers can better connect with their employees, even in an increasingly remote work space.

Don’t miss this incredible episode of The Seismic Shift!

Check out Alisa’s book, From Start-Up to Grown-Up here: https://www.alisacohn.com/start-up/.

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Vulnerability in Connection
02:09 Alisa Cohn's Journey to Coaching
04:51 Seismic Shifts in the Workplace
07:32 Building Connection in a Hybrid World
10:24 Navigating Delicate Conversations
20:07 Communicating Bad News Effectively
23:26 Creating a Culture of Connection

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire