How New Managers Can Handle Difficult Conversations with Direct Reports episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 23, 2026 · 9 MIN

How New Managers Can Handle Difficult Conversations with Direct Reports

from New Manager Conversations with Fexingo: First 90 Days, Managing Former Peers, and Leadership Basics · host Fexingo

Episode 130 of New Manager Conversations tackles the specific challenge of initiating and navigating difficult conversations with direct reports. Lucas shares a framework he learned from a senior HR executive at a Fortune 500 firm — the 'SBI model' (Situation, Behavior, Impact) — and walks through a real example of addressing chronic lateness in a team member. Luna pushes back on the model's perceived coldness and offers a complementary technique from her own management experience: asking 'What's your read on how this is going?' before diving into feedback. Together they explore how to prepare, avoid blame language, and end with a clear action plan. This episode gives new managers a step-by-step mental script for conversations that most people dread — from low performance to interpersonal friction to missed deadlines. #NewManager #Leadership #DifficultConversations #Feedback #Management #CareerDevelopment #EmployeeRelations #SBI #SituationBehaviorImpact #First90Days #DirectReports #TeamLeadership #PerformanceCoaching #WorkplaceCommunication #Candor #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Careers Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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