**Managing Difficult Conversations**

Managing Difficult Conversations

Course Outline

Ever notice how the conversations we shy away from most are the ones that have the potential to change our office culture? Well, believe it or not, excelling at tough conversations is not just about resolving conflict, it's about unlocking your team's potential and leading with a kind of presence people actually respect.

Having worked with hundreds of managers across Australia, I have seen this play out time and time again: those leaders who are really good at hard conversations build stronger teams, deliver better results, and experience far less stress in the workplace. The distinction isn't success, itself or natural talent, it's the frame of reference and the mindset.

Course Overview

This deep workshop changes the way you think about difficult workplace discussions. You won't dread performance discussions, or mediating conflict, or delivering bad news; you'll know you have the tools and the knowledge to approach these situations professionally and with clear purpose.

With proven communication systems and actual in class role playing, the class will complete with you having an actionable way to level up your communication game. We concentrate on the real situations you'll face, from dealing with under performance to handling team conflict and implementing organisational change.

Curriculum Based Learning Outcomes

Participants will learn: Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

Foundational Skills:

Use a powerful dialogue discipline for those tough conversations at work

Model the use of active listening skills to reduce conflict and increase understanding

Implement coping techniques to dampen the emotional arousal that emerge during difficult exchanges

Advanced Communication Techniques:

Create precise, actionable feedback that targets behaviour, not personality

Drive defensive reaction with redirection and reframing.

Deploy follow up tactics that will contribute to enduring change and accountability

Leadership Application:

Designing preparations for critical conversations

Assess the time to bring in HR vs managing situations on your own

Establish a process for documenting the conversation so that the needs of both the worker and the Company can be retained while continuing to build trust as well.

What You Will Learn

Module 1: The Foundation Framework You'll learn my CLEAR method (Context, Listen, Explore, Agree, Review) that you can use to structure any challenging conversation. This is not about memorising lines, it is about having a solid roadmap that will work regardless of whether you are dealing with tardiness or terminating an employee.

Module 2: Managing Emotions (Yours and Theirs) Discover how to manage your own and others' emotions in a conversation that can easily tip into heated. We will also discuss breathing techniques, grounding tools and helpful phrases that have a calming, rather than escalating, impact. You'll also learn how to respond when someone gets defensive, aggressive, or outright checks out.

Module 3: The Art of Clear Communication Get in the habit of delivering messages that are honest, but not brutal, and specific, but not overwhelming. We will come up with a way to make vagaries like "you need to change your attitude" clear, actionable, quantifiable.

Module 4: Specific Circumstances Practice handling performance, interpersonal conflicts, policy violations, or organisational changes through guided role plays. Each situation covers preparation and strategy, the right things to say and to do, and post conversation guidelines. This includes understanding dealing with difficult behaviours that may emerge during these conversations.

Module 5: Follow Through and Documentation Discover how to keep the momentum going after tough conversations and yet not be a micromanager. We will address best documentation practices, establishing realistic timelines for improvement, and when more support or consequences are necessary.

Module 6: Mastering Your Confidence Find your personal rhythm for conversation and feel in control of conversations that don't make you uncomfortable. You'll pinpoint your inherent strengths and solidify your efforts in areas that naturally challenge you, which will provide a foundation for approaching difficult conversations long term. Learn to develop confidence training techniques that will serve you well in all workplace interactions.

Summary

Why do some leaders engender such loyalty, while others incite anger and resentment, when they're delivering the same tough messages? It's how they handle hard conversations. This course doesn't just show you what to say, it changes the way you think about difficult workplace conversations.

You'll walk away with a set of tools that will make those difficult conversations seem like something you can handle, as opposed to something that feels insurmountable. And, more important, you'll build the leadership presence that comes with having the confidence that you can handle whatever workplace challenges crop up. Whether you're managing in Brisbane, leading a team in Adelaide or supervising staff anywhere across Australia, these skills will make you more effective straight away and take the pressure off your time.

The skills we will practice today apply to all industries and personality types. The vast majority of participants tell us they feel more sure footed in their leadership within weeks or even days of finishing a training. Quit running away from the conversations that could change your life, your firm and the world around you, and begin leading those discussions instead.

Available in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Geelong, Parramatta, Online.