How to handle difficult Conversations at Work

A single 2-hour workshop for working professionals at any level.

Most of us were never taught how to handle conflict at work. We learned to avoid it or to win it, and neither works well past a certain level of seniority.

The session covers:

Why difficult conversations get postponed, and what that postponement actually costs. The five ways people respond to conflict — and which situations each one is right for, because pushing hard is sometimes correct and so is backing off. Reading what a conflict is really about, which is rarely the thing being argued over. A structure for the conversation itself: what to open with, how to state your position without escalating, and how to close on something specific rather than a vague agreement to be better. Handling the response, including when the other person gets defensive.

Runs as a workshop with live practice throughout. In a group, you practise in pairs and observe each other. One-to-one, we run the scenarios together.

Bring one conversation you've been avoiding. We'll work on that.