Instigating a difficult conversation can feel daunting and there is a natural tendency for managers to delay taking action in the hopes that the issue will be resolved without their intervention. But this is rarely the case. Procrastination won’t make problems disappear and in fact, if issues are ignored they are likely to escalate and become even more difficult to resolve, causing negative consequences both for all those involved and for the wider organisation. It is far better to tackle problems at an early stage as this can help to nip problems in the bud, prevent the situation from deteriorating and maintain good working relationships with colleagues.