Let’s talk – difficult conversations at work: A summary scoping review of existing literature

This report provides a summary of the salient findings of a scoping review conducted as part of my ongoing doctoral research investigating difficult conversations (DC) at work. We sought to synthetise the findings from existing evidence to understand how DC are defined and experienced within a work context. Systematic searches of five electronic databases from 2015 onwards and additional grey literature were conducted to identify existing literature and evidence. Screening using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria ensured all studies focused on workplace difficult conversations between two or more adults. Forty-six studies were reviewed. Most evidence included in the review came from practitioner experience and there was limited peer-reviewed research on the topic. Difficult conversations are well-defined and described suggesting a shared meaning of DC. Thematic analysis identified two types of conversations – about personal matters and work-related matters and these are discussed briefly.We identified significant gaps in research, particularly around how individual characteristics such as experience level, personality types and workplace dynamics influence conversational difficulty, and how personal versus work-related conversations differ in their impact. Recommendations include conducting empirical studies on these moderating factors and developing context-specific frameworks that distinguish between personal and work-related difficult conversations to inform evidence-based training interventions.’