Managing Difficult Employee Conversations

Managers and leaders regularly face crucial, emotionally charged conversations, from performance evaluations to moments of crisis or a change in project direction. This 60-minute difficult conversations training shows how to stay in control of them from start to finish.

Handling these talks well means being aware of your thoughts, emotions, impulses, words, voice and facial expressions. You'll learn to speak assertively, recognize what makes a conversation difficult for you, manage body language and choose the right questions at the right time.

The session also gives you a structure for setting the purpose of the conversation, finding common ground, suspending judgment, listening actively and paraphrasing what you heard so both sides reach a workable outcome.

• Define and practice assertive speaking
• Identify what makes a conversation difficult for you and manage your emotions
• Control body language and choose words with care
• Ask the right questions at the right time
• Structure a conversation around its purpose and common ground
• Use active listening, paraphrasing and clarifying to build understanding
• Keep control of the conversation and work toward a win-win outcome

• What speaking assertively means
• What makes difficult conversations difficult for you
• Emotions, attitudes and mindsets before, during and after the conversation
• Managing body language
• Asking the right questions at the right time
• Words and their impact
• A strategy and structure for setting purpose and finding common ground
• Staying in control throughout the conversation
• Suspending judgment to understand better
• Understanding intent and focus for win-win outcomes
• Active listening, paraphrasing and clarifying

Careless communication in an important conversation can be a costly mistake. This session gives you the awareness and tools to keep difficult conversations on track and reach the outcome you want.

It suits managers, leaders and anyone facing a difficult conversation who wants to handle it with confidence.

This course is suitable for anyone who is facing a difficult conversation and would like to develop the knowledge and skills to tackle it confidently and effectively.

Audrey Halpern is a soft skills training facilitator consultant with 20+ years of experience. Audrey’s is currently a  faculty member of American Management Association where she trains communication skills.