DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AT

WORKPLACE
(SESSIONS 3 AND 4)
Managerial Communication
IIM Trichy 2025
 Learning objectives

■ At the end of the session, you will be able to-

■ Understand Negotiated meanings and implicatures
■ Understand the Drama triangle and Winner’s triangle
■ How to consciously turn around a difficult situation into a win-win
situation in business and otherwise
■ Giving constructive feedback
■ Managing Conflicts (session 4)
■ Negotiation skills (session 4)
■ Working in Teams through (session 4)
 The Train to Oxford
■

A: Um cigarette
B: Thanks B: Ah busy tomorrow
A: Oxford A: Lunch
B: Yes you too B: O.K. Where
A: Um that’s right student A: Um Browns
B: Nurse you B: Browns
A: Unemployed A: When
B: Long B: One
A: A year Eh… married A: Fine oh Oxford
B: Divorced B: Already
A: Really me too A: Tomorrow
B: Kids B: Tomorrow
A: One You A: Oh
B: Three B: Yes
A: Erm dinner A: Name
B: When B: Sue
A: Tonight A: John

■
Figure 1.1 Sharing Information
 How communication Plays out

■ Transmitted meaning /E cient communication

■ Negotiated meaning /Collaboration and trust

■ Recreated meaning/Misunderstanding and conflict

 Negotiated Meanings

■ [Link] is social

■ 2. Communication is not one-way

■ 3. Context matters
 Difficult conversations-implicatures

■ A:Do you like the picture?

■ B: I like the frame .

■ Sanjay: Did you finish the report?

■ Nick: It’s on your table.

■ Hemant : The report is poorly written

■ Amit: Sumanth wrote it.

■ Priya thinks there is a meeting this evening.

 Difficult conversations-implicatures
■ A: Did you finish the report?
■ B:I finished the introduction.

■ A: Is Sam a good employee?

■ B:Well, he shows up on time.

■ A: How’s the weather?

■ B: Well, my roof is leaking.
IMPLICATURES
 Why do we use implicatures

■ We don’t just take what people say literally—we interpret what they meant
to communicate. People don’t always say exactly what they
mean—because of-
■ politeness,
■ power dynamics,
■ indirectness,
■ time pressure.
Instead, they suggest, hint, or imply—and we, the listeners, fill in the gaps using
context and common assumptions.
Manager says: “You’ve made some interesting choices in how you handled that client…”

Literal listener: “Oh great, they noticed my creativity.”

Implicature-aware listener: “They’re probably suggesting I re-evaluate my approach.”

In a team meeting-

Team Lead says, ”that’s one way of looking at it”

Literal meaning: Acknowledging a possible method.

Implied meaning:

“That’s not the best or preferred way.”

Maybe: “You should reconsider.”

 Implicature quiz

■ A. “That’s an interesting suggestion.” ■ 1.I’m not entirely happy with how you're
handling communication.
■
B. “I suppose we could go with your idea if ■ 2.I’m postponing giving you a straight
we’re short on time.” answer—maybe due to hesitation or
needing approval.
■
C. “Let me get back to you on that.” ■ 3 .I don't fully agree, but I'm being polite.
■ ■ 4 .You may be dominating the discussion
D. “I noticed you didn’t copy the client on too much.
that email.”
■ [Link] idea is acceptable, but only
■ because we're pressed for time—not
E. “You’ve been very vocal in meetings because it's ideal.
lately.”
■ A. “That’s an interesting suggestion.” ■ 1.I’m not entirely happy with how
3 you're handling communication.
■ ■ 2.I’m postponing giving you a straight
B. “I suppose we could go with your answer—maybe due to hesitation or
idea if we’re short on time.” 5 needing approval.
■ 3.I don't fully agree, but I'm being
■ polite.
C. “Let me get back to you on that.” 2
■ [Link] may be dominating the
discussion too much.
■
D. “I noticed you didn’t copy the client ■ [Link] idea is acceptable, but only
on that email.” 1 because we're pressed for time—not
because it's ideal.

■
E. “You’ve been very vocal in meetings
lately.” 4
 Why this matters

■
No harsh criticism is expressed directly, but the expectation is clear to
someone paying attention to what’s not being said.

■ These kinds of indirect cues are common in leadership communication,

where tone and diplomacy matter more than bluntness.
 CLASSROOM DISCUSSION

■ Can you think of some examples of difficult conversations at workplace or at College

from your experience?
 EXAMPLES OF DIFFICULT CONVERSATION

■ Giving seniors feedback on performance gaps.

■ Seeking clarification about appraisals.
■ Escalating a team member’s behaviour and commitment towards their role
■ Feedback during exit interviews
■ Asking for deadline extension
■ Communicating inability to honour deliverables promised.
■ Expressing concern about the lack of su cient support from the client.
 Ladder of Inference

■ Observe data (what someone says or does)

■ Select part of it
■ Interpret it
■ Make assumptions
■ Draw conclusions
■ Form beliefs
■ Take action
 No-Blame Clarification Culture

• Looking dumb
■ Normalize asking questions
• Being blamed for “not paying attention”

• Appearing incompetent ■ Reward curiosity

• Interrupting a senior person

■ Avoid blame game
• Being the only one asking (when others
also don’t get it)
 Karpman’s Drama Triangle

■ Karpman’s Drama Triangle is deeply connected to communication,

especially in how people express themselves, interpret others, and respond
in di cult or emotional situations.
■ It’s a model of conflict and dysfunctional social interactions, consisting of
three roles people unconsciously play-
■ Victim
■ Rescuer
■ Persecutor
 Roles-examples

■ “Why is this happening to me?”

■ “No one ever tells me anything—I’m always left out!”
■ “I’ll fix this for you.”
■ “Don’t worry, I’ll stay late and finish your report.”
■ “You always mess things up!”
■ “You clearly didn’t follow the process—that’s why this failed.”
SHIFTING TO WINNER’S TRIANGLE
 The Winner’s Triangle

■ Accountability over blame

■ Support over control
■ Honest expression over emotional reaction
Roleplay 1: "That's Not My Job!"

■ Characters:
■ Manager: Delegates work quickly under pressure.
■ Employee: Already handling multiple tasks, feels overburdened.
■ Setting: Monday morning at the o ce.
Roleplay 2: "You Ignored My
Email!"
■ Characters:
■ Colleague A: Sent an important email about a project.
■ Colleague B: Overwhelmed with tasks, missed the email.
■ Setting: Shared workspace after lunch.
Roleplay 3: "Credit Where It’s Due"

■ Characters:
■ Team Leader: Presented team work to management.
■ Team Member: Contributed a key section but wasn’t acknowledged.
■ Setting: After a client presentation.
 Assertive skills-Rights

■ Responsibility for our own ■ Broken Record

actions
■ Fogging
■ State the limits or the feelings
■ Negative assertions
■ Change one’s mind
■ Negative enquiry
■ Say ‘I don’t know’
■ Treat others with respect
■ Say ‘no’ without feeling guilty
■ Ask for clarification
 Sandwich Method Feedback

■ Positive feedback serves as a cushion to negative feedback .

■ Generally, a manager or superior delivers positive feedback.
■ Then, they deliver critical or constructive feedback.
■ Close with positive feedback.
SANDWICH METHOD FEEDBACK
 GIVING FEEDBACK- 3 STEP APPROACH

■ Say what has gone well.

■ Then tell them what they could do better next time.
■ Add what they could do differently next time that
would make something better.
■ End with a reinforcement of the positive actions
taken by the concerned person.
 FEEDBACK-CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

■ Ask someone what they think about their performance.

■ Ask if you could share your impressions as well.

■ Say you would like to discuss it.

■ Intertwine both critique and discussion.

 Role play

■ A team member (Amit) fails to submit his part of a client presentation on

time.
■ A marketing campaign failed to deliver expected results
■ Meena o ers to help her teammate Ravi with client emails, thinking he’s
slow. Ravi feels undermined
 Session 4-What is Conflict?

In every human endeavor conflicts exist.

Individuals experience conflict due to-

■ many pressures exerted on them by many groups to which they belong

■ demands of various roles they must play
It is not the presence of conflict that
causes chaos and disaster, but the
harmful and ineffective way it is
managed
 Examples of conflict in today’s corporate Managerial
Communication
setup

● The BharatPe issue

○ Conflict between Ashneer Grover and co-
founders
○ Conflict between Ashneer Grover and his
investors/board
○ Conflict of interest issues/malpractice
○ Multiple stakeholders negotiating with
each other
○ Ouster of Ashneer Grover from BharatPe
○ Legal recourse sought by several
stakeholders
○ Business su ers!
 Examples of conflict in today’s corporate setup Managerial
Communication

● Byju’s
○ Accounting issues
○ Corporate governance issues
○ Customer issues – accusation
of fraud, harassment of
customers
○ Random valuations followed by
down-rounds
○ Auditing firms resigning
○ Investors resigning from the
board
○ Negotiations
○ Legal actions and courts
○ Business dying slowly but surely
Examples of conflict in today’s corporate setup

■ Vishal Sikka joins Infosys as CEO.2014.

■ Sikka drives innovation and
transformation, aiming to shift Infosys
from services to products.
■ NRN publicly raises concerns over
governance and transparency.
■ Vishal Sikka resigns, citing personal
attacks and distractions
■ Infosys stock tumbles; the board blames
Murthy’s continuous interference.
 Consequences & resolutions of conflict Managerial
Communication

● Consequences
○ Toxic emotions
○ Diversion of attention from main issue
○ ‘Get even’ tendencies
○ Reduces org. e ciency
○ Expensive – waste of money, manpower and time

● Resolutions
○ Productive, frank discussions with expected outcome pre-defined
○ Conflicting parties at the same table – value tradeo s
○ Problems previously ignored brought to light
○ ‘We’re all in this together’ approach; row or sink Falls within
the realm of
‘negotiation’
 EXAMPLES OF CONFLICTS

■ Role play
■ You are in a meeting when a colleague takes credit
for work that you have done. What do you do in
such a situation?
■ You are a customer service representative and have
just gotten an extremely angry client on the phone.
What do you do?
■ You have recently been assigned a young manager
in your team and have noticed that he appears to be
unable to make the simplest of decisions without
seeking advice from you. What do you do?
 Conflict style/type Managerial
Communication

Competing Collaborating
Assertivene

Compromising
ss

Avoiding Accommodating

Cooperativeness
 Dealing with Conflict- Track 33
■ Listen to the recordings of the di erent ways of dealing with conflict . Match each
statement with one of the following strategies
■ 1. Adjourn to think and reflect

■ 2. Summarise progress and areas of agreement

■ 3. Leave the problem , discuss something else , come back later to the problem.

■ 4. Emphasise the loss to both sides of not reaching an agreement.

■ 5.O er a conditional concession

 Dealing with Conflict
■ Listen to the recordings of the di erent ways of dealing with conflict . Match each
statement with one of the following strategies
■ 1. Adjourn to think and reflect -4

■ 2. Summarise progress and areas of agreement -3

■ 3. Leave the problem , discuss something else , come back later to

the problem. -1
■
■ 4. Emphasise the loss to both sides of not reaching an agreement. -2

■ 5.-O er a conditional concession. -5

 Negotiating Deals

■ [Link]
 Some vocabulary Managerial
Communication

● BATNA: Best alternative to a negotiated agreement

○ What your fallback option is if you walk away from this deal

● Reservation price
○ Worst acceptable deal. Highest price a buyer will pay, lowest price the seller will
agree to

● Bargaining zone, ZOPA (zone of possible agreement)

○ Range of possibilities between the two negotiators’ reservation price

● Target
○ Hoped-for deal; eye on the prize
 The negotiation landscape Managerial
Communication

Bargaining zone/ZOPA

Most the Least the

buyer will pay seller with
(RP) accept (RP)
 Managerial
Case study Communication

● Ramesh works at Razorpay and draws a CTC of 20 Lacs PA

● He is interviewing with PhonePe and is hoping to bag a 50% increase in CTC
○ He plans to move only if there is a decent increment (industry standards)
● The recruiter at phonePe is replacing a person who’s quit
○ The person was paid 25 Lacs PA
○ The recruiter is willing to pay a max of 1 Lac more for a replacement and there’s
pressure to fill in the position
● Define
○ Hoped for deal for Ramesh and the recruiter
○ BATNA for Ramesh and the recruiter
○ Reservation price for both
○ Bargaining zone(ZOPA)
 Managerial
The Bargaining zone Communication

● Any deal in the bargaining zone is mutually beneficial

○ Atleast better than both BATNAs
● What happens if there’s a bargaining zone that is acceptable and you do not make a
deal?
○ Ine cient negotiation
○ Likely too much blu ng, stubborn parties
 Preparing for a negotiation-Track 26
■ Mark the following points in the order in which Diana Ferry mentions them
■ A. Identify your minimum requirement.
■ B. Prepare your opening statement.
■ C. Decide which concessions you could make.
■ D. Know your own strengths and weaknesses
■ E. Know your role as part of a team.
■ F. Prepare your negotiating position-know your aims and objectives.
■ G. Prepare any figures , any calculations and any support materials you may need
 Preparing for a negotiation-Track 26
■ Mark the following points in the order in which Diana Ferry mentions them
■ A. Identify your minimum requirement. -2
■ B. Prepare your opening statement. -7
■ C. Decide which concessions you could make .- 3
■ D. Know your own strengths and weaknesses - 4
■ E. Know your role as part of a team. -6
■ F. Prepare your negotiating position-know your aims and objectives. - 1
■ G. Prepare any figures, any calculations and any support materials
■ you may need -5
The competitive edge Managerial
Communication
Dysfunctional Teams-
Communication
■ Chak De India link
Withholding honest thoughts, fear of
Absence of Trust
vulnerability

Fear of Conflict Avoiding open disagreement

Lack of Commitment No clear communication of decisions

Avoidance of Accountability No honest peer feedback

Inattention to Results Silence around performance expectations

The best teams fail without e ective communication
Managerial
Communication
Teamwork is critical to success Managerial
Communication
Communication critical to teamwork Managerial
Communication
■ [Link]
 Why is communication in teams critical Managerial
Communication

● Di erence between a group and a team.

● Unifying factor.

● Without e ective communication, organization goals su er

● E ective communication helps everyone focus on the same goals

● Communication breakdowns go well beyond the team and can spell disaster to a
business

● Teams that communicate well with each other thrive and outperform.
 Assignment

■ Group assignment for evaluation (10 marks)

■ The groups of 6 will create podcasts on ‘E ective communication for
business managers’ drawing from the discussions in 1-4 sessions.
■ The students can use any kind of free podcast software such as Garage
band for Mac and iOS or Spotify etc.
■ Feel free to use any kind of format for the podcast.
■ Submit the podcast on or before-----
■ You will submit a report on the group’s experience of creating the podcast
along with the description on each student’s contribution.