Course Description
Learn how to conduct tough, awkward, and challenging conversations with
confidence and success.
As Much As You’d Like to
Avoid Them, You Can’t
But you can get more skilled at handling the
challenging conversations you face as a
leader. This training will show you how.
When you think of truly great leaders, you don’t imagine
them dodging important conversations that need to be
had, do you?
Instead, strong leaders step up and do what needs to be
done. They study the situation with care and then they
enter into even the most challenging conversations with cool-headed calmness. They take great
care in word choice, tone, and body language. They strike a balance between being
compassionate while maintaining a strong, confident, assertive leadership stance. And they
conclude conversations with a solid action plan for going forward.
Thankfully, you don’t have to be born with these skills ... they can be learned! When you attend
How to Handle Difficult Conversations With Employees, you’ll discover the secrets that great
leaders throughout the years have used to navigate even the most difficult conversations.
Every Manager Needs the Conversation Management Skills Taught in
This Training!
There isn’t a manager or supervisor on this planet who won’t face his or her fair share of difficult
conversations. It just comes with the job. In fact, it’s one of the MOST CRITICAL roles you play as
a leader. Your ability to proactively handle these conversations positively and effectively will
determine your ultimate success as a leader. It truly is one of the most important skills you
can possess.
Get the skills you need to feel confident in your ability to handle every conversation challenge that
comes your way from now on. Make plans to attend How to Handle Difficult Conversations With
Employees now!
Agenda
What Needs to Be Said, When, and Why
- Are you oversimplifying or underestimating the
problem? How to know for sure
- The perils of delay — when putting off a
conversation makes things worse and key
actions to take instead
- How to avoid the consequences of a poorly
executed conversation: demoralizing,
confusing, aggravating, ineffective
- Avoiding the most common communication
mistakes managers make
Pre-Conversation Preparation
- Preparing for the conversation — prework
you’ve got to do
- What’s the objective? Know your ideal
outcome beforehand
- Establishing the conversation agenda
- How to identify and overcome assumptions
you bring to the table
- Learn how to effectively prepare for
challenging conversations without
overthinking them
Conducting Challenging Conversations
- Master the Manager’s Conversation Model — a
step-by-step process for walking through any
tough discussion
- Creating a distraction-free, positive
atmosphere for dialogue
- Tone matters! It’s not just what you say that
matters — it’s how you say it
- The discovery process: how to make sure
you’re getting all the facts out on the table
- Listen with the intention to understand
- Reading body language
- Preventing conversation breakdown
- Techniques for getting people to open up
about their needs, issues, and concerns
- How to make sure your expectations are
crystal clear
- Accountability — deciding next steps and
crafting a detailed follow-up plan
Dealing With Emotions
- How to respond to emotionally charged
reactions, including anger, frustration,
disappointment, embarrassment, denial,
defensiveness, stonewalling, threatening, lying,
silence, crying, and more
- Handling hot buttons — yours and theirs
- Aggressive, passive-aggressive, and passive people: what you need to know about each
- Attitude check — how to remain objective at
all times
Tactics and Techniques for
Tricky Conversations
- “You stink!” The tactful way to discuss hygiene
problems with employees
- Too sloppy? Too revealing? Too many tattoos
and piercings? Conducting conversations
about inappropriate appearance
- How to talk with an employee who is
insensitive to others in the workplace
- Discussing policy and procedure infractions
- How to know when your conversation has
potential legal implications/ramifications
- “You’re driving your coworkers crazy”: how to
talk to employees about their irritating and
inconsiderate personal behaviors
- What should you say when you suspect an
employee is drinking or on drugs?
- When employees are in conflict: your role as
conflict mediator
- The essentials of discipline and termination
conversations
- Safety first: what to do when you believe an
employee could get violent
- Boss Conversations 101: how to make every
conversation with your boss more successful
- The essentials of conducting productive
conversations with difficult coworkers
Comments
Cancelation Policy: If you cannot attend an event, you may send someone else in your place. If that isn’t an option for you, cancellations received up to five working days before the event are refundable, minus a registration service charge ($10 for one-day events; $25 for multiple-day events). After that, cancellations are subject to the entire seminar fee, which you may apply toward a future seminar. Please note that if you don’t cancel and don’t attend, you are still responsible for payment.