Difficult conversations are a fact of life in any workplace. People sometimes avoid conflict situations where they need to deliver bad news, respond to bad behaviour or where they fear that there will be an adverse reaction to an assertive or critical message. If there are problems with colleagues, many people believe that raising the issue will make it worse. The ability to talk about difficult issues with honesty, clarity and integrity builds credibility. Managers who avoid difficult conversations risk undermining their own position and potentially losing their staffs’ respect. Being able to tackle contentious issues in a balanced, calm and consistent way is a valued skill in all areas of working life. Learning these skills can help promote productive and engaged teams as well as reducing the leeching of personal resources around anticipation and apprehension.
This workshop explains the perceptions around difficult conversations, why we avoid them, and why we often handle them badly. It introduces tools and approaches which make it safe to talk about almost anything in the workplace and in your personal life. It explains that, with training, you can learn practical ways of thinking and behaving which means that difficult conversations will become easier and cause less anxiety. As a result you will choose to engage with them more often and there will be a better outcome for both parties.