Great employees aren't born; they're trained! We make learning simple, enjoyable and cost-effective. With business noew recovering from the Covid-19 lockdown, we understand that your organisation may have a limited budget for learning and development. That's why we can help you and your people with live (classroom or virtual) or self-paced online via our e-Courses.

Having Difficult Performance Conversations – Difficult Conversations Training

Home Courses Having Difficult Performance Conversations – Difficult Conversations Training

Course Overview

Difficult Performance Conversations

Having Difficult Performance Conversations is practical difficult conversations training designed to help managers and team leaders address employee underperformance and handle challenging performance discussions more confidently and constructively. Participants learn how to prepare for difficult conversations, communicate performance concerns clearly and work with employees towards improved performance.

The course explores why managers sometimes avoid difficult performance conversations and provides a structured approach for addressing problems before they become more serious. Participants learn how to manage emotions, provide effective feedback, clarify expectations and objectives, and use coaching techniques to help employees recognise performance issues and take greater responsibility for improvement.

Participants also explore important considerations when managing underperformance, including relevant Fair Work principles, documenting performance concerns, agreeing on actions and following up to monitor progress.

Having Difficult Performance Conversations – Difficult Conversations Training is suitable for managers, supervisors and team leaders who need to address employee underperformance, provide constructive feedback and manage challenging workplace conversations professionally and effectively.

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of this difficult conversations training, participants will be able to:

  • Understand why difficult performance conversations are necessary and recognise the consequences of avoiding employee underperformance.
  • Understand important Fair Work considerations when addressing employee performance issues.
  • Identify the causes and indicators of underperformance before beginning a performance conversation.
  • Prepare for and structure a difficult performance conversation more effectively.
  • Communicate performance concerns clearly while managing emotions and maintaining a constructive discussion.
  • Provide effective feedback and clarify the performance standards and expectations required of the employee.
  • Establish clear performance objectives and agree on practical actions for improvement.
  • Use coaching techniques to help employees recognise performance issues, explore solutions and take greater responsibility for improvement.
  • Follow up on agreed actions, monitor progress and provide appropriate support to help turn around underperformance.
Difficult conversations training infographic showing performance feedback, Fair Work considerations, clear expectations and employee performance improvement

Training Outline

This practical difficult conversations training provides managers with a structured approach for addressing employee underperformance and managing challenging performance discussions. Participants explore Fair Work considerations, identifying and addressing performance issues, preparing for difficult conversations, managing emotions, providing effective feedback and establishing clear performance objectives. The course also covers coaching techniques, agreeing on actions and following up to support improved performance and accountability.

Morning Session
  • Why having effective and productive employee performance should matter to you and council
  • The value of employee performance and the cost of underperformance
  • What is underperformance
  • Understanding Fair Work Australia’s definition of underperformance
  • Case Study: The costs of doing nothing, getting it wrong and the benefit of doing it correctly
  • The 4 core reasons for all employee underperformance
  • Using the Fair Work Australia process for dealing with underperformance
  • How to have a performance discussion with a team member
  • Using a performance managing conversation model that focuses on behaviours that can be observed and corrected
Afternoon Session
  • Managing differing perspectives about an employee’s performance
  • Having a conversation when an employees performance is measured against their goals
  • Practice specific conversations and rebuttals to use during your performance conversations
  • Practice specific conversations and rebuttals to use during your performance conversation
  • Dealing with different emotions in a performance appraisal (crying, anger, raising of the voice, etc.)
  • How to get the employee to acknowledge their (unacceptable) performance
  • Setting objectives for improvement and how to make sure your employees take the next steps towards improving their performance

Training Options

Having Difficult Performance Conversations – Difficult Conversations Training can be delivered in a format that suits your organisation, team and training requirements. Whether your managers need greater confidence addressing underperformance, providing constructive feedback or managing challenging performance discussions, the training can be tailored to suit your workplace and learning objectives.

Every organisation faces different performance-management challenges. Talk to us about your managers, their teams and the types of difficult conversations they need to handle. We can then discuss the most suitable training option for your organisation.

Schedule a phone call with us.

Delivery options include:

  • 1-day Training (7 hours)
  • Half-Day Express (3 hours)
  • Lunch & Learn (60 minutes)
  • Online Training (Self-paced)
  • One-on-One (Zoom) Coaching
  • Available training across Australia
Request Training Quote for this Course