Episode Summary
In this kickoff to Series 4, Renee Chiuchiarelli and Julie Parks dive into one of the toughest parts of any trade or corporate role: difficult conversations. Whether it’s salary discussions, performance feedback, non-compliance discoveries, or delivering perceived “bad news,” Renee and Julie break down why these conversations feel hard — and more importantly — how to approach them with clarity, preparation, and confidence.
They outline:
What qualifies as a difficult conversation
How to prepare before you engage
How to choose the right words
How to use the Likes, Concerns, Suggestions (LCS) method to keep communication constructive and forward-moving
This is a practical, relatable episode with real-world scenarios from their careers — perfect for trade pros, team leads, new managers, and anyone navigating delicate workplace interactions.
👉 Key Learnings
Difficult conversations come in many forms: salary topics, performance discussions, non-compliance findings, and more.
Preparation matters: scripting, writing things down, framing the discussion, and thinking through tone can make or break the delivery.
Recapping the context is essential — your version of events may not match the receiver’s.
Anticipate their questions: put yourself in the other person’s shoes before you meet.
Use the LCS method: Likes → Concerns → Suggestions to structure discussions in a constructive, repeatable way.
Follow-up is crucial: especially if the first contact was via email — close it with a conversation.
🛠️ Tip of the Week
Use the LCS Framework (Likes, Concerns, Suggestions) to keep hard conversations clear, structured, and less emotionally charged.
📣 FIO – Figure It Out / Call to Action
Practice using LCS this week — at work, at home, with your team, anywhere.
Then come tell us in the Trade Geeks Community how it went!
Did it make the conversation easier? Did it shift the tone? We want to hear it.
🗣️ Keep the Conversation Going
Join the discussion in the Trade Geeks community and share:
What difficult conversations you’re navigating
Whether you tried the LCS approach
What worked and what still feels challenging
We’re building these series so you don’t have to figure this out alone — come learn with us.
Credits
Hosts
Renee Chiuchiarelli
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-chiuchiarelli-lcb-ccs-8964a19/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast
Julie Parks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-ann-parks/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast
Lalo Solorzano
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalosolorzano/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast
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Presented by:
Global Training Center — education, consulting, workshops, and compliance resources for trade pros
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