Build the skills to manage tough conversations

Duration: 1 day or half day, delivered at a venue of your choice, anywhere in the UK.

Kate Jennings is a highly qualified and experienced trainer, coach and consultant with a commercial background in product development. She has worked with some of the UK’s most famous brands to help develop and deliver communication skills programmes that have benefited thousands of delegates. Kate has a personable style and a strong client focus, with a talent for building positive and productive working relationships. She is also qualified in a wide range of psychometric and other tools that can help enhance and cement learning.

Course details

Who is it for?

What’s this course about?

The ability to have open, honest and productive conversations with colleagues is a vital skill for all managers. But sometimes, talking about sensitive topics like under-productivity or issues around behaviour, attitude or money can be difficult.

For some managers, their perceived lack of sensitivity can trigger emotional or defensive reactions in colleagues that can sour relationships and be counterproductive in terms of performance. Others struggle with conflict and avoid addressing important issues head-on.

This course has been devised to help make these conversations less difficult and more constructive, helping managers build the skills to discuss difficult topics honestly, openly and sensitively.

During the day, delegates will learn both a structured process that takes the guesswork out of how to approach difficult conversations, and will also have opportunities to build their confidence through practical role-plays in a safe and supportive environment.

What is the course content?

Every in-house delivery is unique and adapted to the needs of your delegates and organisation, however, a typical course might look something like this:

1) Different types of challenging conversations

What makes some conversations challenging?
Identifying the different types of tricky conversations and how to manage each type
Dealing with difficult attitudes
Identifying ‘what people do’ rather than ‘what people are’
The differences in challenging conversations with employees and colleagues

2) Communication skills during challenging conversations

The role of words, tone and body language
Responding to what’s not being said
Identify your own trigger points and how to manage these
How to gain the other person’s attention / buy-in

3) Handling challenging emotions

Five communication styles and which ones are used in different situations
Emotional intelligence –being aware of how you react under pressure and being able to modify your behaviour accordingly
Using a solution-focussed approach

4) Preparing for your own challenging conversation

Questions to consider before you have a challenging conversation
Anticipating the other person’s responses and how you’ll respond
How to achieve a successful outcome
Handling tricky conversations on the phone

5) Using the skills

Skills practice using work-based scenarios
Extended Action planning – preparing for your own tricky conversation

What will delegates learn?

By the end of the Handling Challenging Conversations course delegates will have learned how to:

Set clear expectations
Handle difficult attitudes
Confidently have difficult conversations with staff and colleagues
Select the appropriate feedback tools
Identify how to remain assertive and in ‘adult’ mode
Spot what happens when your buttons are pressed and how to manage this
Increase emotional intelligence
Ensure the conversation is constructive
Manage resistance from the other person
Handle tricky conversations on the phone and face to face

Client case study

Kate our trainer has been superb in her contact with us and personalisation of the course content including work specific role plays to meet our needs from start to finish, bringing on board Joanna as a double act to aid the facilitation of the afternoon role play session.

Working with Kate and Joanna has been a massive success and has provided a large section of our colleagues across the business with the tools and techniques to transform difficult conversations into every day conversations, over 100 colleagues attended the day and left with a range of tools and techniques to support them in their day to day work including extending knowledge how to change their own behaviours.

Delegates stated the workshop had ‘made me think how to adapt my behaviour for better outcomes and improved communication in the work place’, ‘The balance of theory and practice was just right’.

Whilst some delegates stated they initially felt uncomfortable [about the training] evaluations confirmed the challenge in taking them out of their comfort zones has been rewarding. A follow up session with one delegate stated it was great to experience ‘Ninja techniques’ and has observed colleagues using the techniques.

A course and trainer I would highly recommend.

Alexandra Willans
Northern Gas Networks
Learning and Development Specialist

Find out more or book a course

If you have any questions or if you would like to speak to Kate or one of our other trainers about how this course could be adapted to work for you please get in touch.

In-house delivery prices

In most cases we can provide an all-inclusive quote to cover design, delivery and materials with some basic information:

Which course you are interested in
Where the course would take place
How many delegates need to be trained

Just drop us a line with these basic facts and we’ll get back to you with a no-obligation quote on the same day.

Cambridge Executive Development is a boutique learning consultancy with a small and select team specialising in management and communication skills training. Over fifteen years we’ve helped delegates from hundreds of companies, including many of the country’s biggest brands, boost their productivity and confidence, and transform their impact at work.

Handling Challenging Conversations and People