Communication can be difficult even when it doesn’t have to be. And when we find ourselves in situations where messages are going to be hard to hear, relationships are troubled or perspectives are unalike, it’s even more difficult. After years of top leadership in human resources, watching great school administrators communicate effectively and weak ones lose respect, status and influence, I realized there are huge benefits to being able to navigate messy conversations.

During the summer of 2018 I was asked to guest teach with a colleague of mine at the University of Missouri, Columbia. The course was educational leadership, the students were aspiring school administrators, and my colleague was a friend and mentor.

What is it? Simply put, Misophonia is a preoccupation with a particular sound that triggers strong emotional responses such as irritation, aggression, rage, panic or even hatred. The trigger sounds for most people with Misophonia are things like dripping water, chewing, snapping gum, breathing or repetitive noises such as pencil tapping.

I’ve spent a career working hard to do things that probably were beyond my God-given capacity only because I “thought” I could. That meant giving up a lot of things that probably should have been more important, but in the end, feeling successful and accomplished.

One of the most stressful jobs for any school administrator is the supervision of employees, especially during difficult situations. Sitting face to face with a subordinate who is struggling with poor performance or in trouble for serious wrongdoing is always a daunting task.