How to Navigate Difficult Conversations

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- How to Navigate Difficult Conversations -

Course Overview

Difficult conversations are inevitable in any workplace. Unfortunately having difficult conversations can end up creating undue stress, misunderstandings, unhappiness and personal tensions. Difficult conversations not managed well will impair and can even destroy relationships.

Rather than avoid difficult conversations, how about you take some time to learn how to handle them with colleagues and even customers more effectively.

By the end of the training, you will have developed a stronger ability to handle these and other challenging conversations with increased confidence.

As a result of this training, you’ll find that your team relationships will improve, there will be increased levels of trust, fewer problems, better teamwork and of course higher productivity between you and your colleagues.

Key Learning Outcomes

Understand the nature of difficult conversations and what it takes to handle them
Identify the seven stages of handling difficult conversations
Use empathy in a way that minimises negative responses and strengthens relationships
Apply best practices for preparing, initiating and delivering the conversation
Discover how to generate solutions and bring the conversation to a close

Topics Covered

Types of conversations people find it difficult to carry out and the reasons why they are difficult
Using empathetic language to establish trust and understanding
Key methods for getting the conversation off on a good start
Techniques for delivering the message tactfully, respectfully and productively

Best practices for listening and responding
Common types of difficult responses and strategies for coping with them
How to generate alternatives and solutions
Guidelines for bringing closure to the conversation and tips for following up on the conversation.

Why Learn Online?

Learning new skills online can be perfect for organisations and employees for the following reasons:

You only have one or a few employees to train and develop (on a specific training topic)
Getting a trainer to your location could be difficult or cost-prohibitive
The employees you want to train work from home or are part-time
You don’t have the resources to cover for the employees you want to be trained, so allowing them to the training online means they won’t need to leave their work areas
Your training budget is limited, and online learning is more cost-effective
You want your people trained in a wide range of skills this year,’s online learning provides much better value to get everyone involved in learning and developing themselves.