Handle difficult conversations

Actors analyse intense, dramatic conversations and relationships every day. They can technically identify the human triggers and emotional responses that drive and escalate a “heated” conversation.

This module provides a range of effective strategies and practical planning techniques to empower you to prepare properly for a difficult conversation and understand how you can achieve more successful outcomes.

We tailor this module for various difficult situations including:

1. Handle a difficult conversation (Generic).
   Participants discover how to control behaviour and language in a challenging conversation and manage emotions, de-escalate intensity and perform with confidence to deliver consistently constructive outcomes.

2. Deal with anger and conflict.
   Participants discover how to tackle any aggressive or emotional situation in a calm, resilient and confident way and effectively bring conflict to a controlled and professional conclusion.

3. Say no with confidence and integrity.
   Participants discover how to professionally address unrealistic expectations, challenge and turn down a request by confidently explaining why sometimes the answer must be “No”.

4. Deliver difficult feedback.
   Participants discover how to directly address performance issues and challenge people who are not delivering or conforming to the professional standards expected in their business.

5. Be more assertive.
   Participants discover how to be more assertive and forthright about expressing their requirements while remaining sensitive to the professional drivers of others.

6. Handle difficult patient conversations.
   Participants discover how to deliver life changing news clearly, with compassion and sensitivity, without giving false hope to patients and their families.

7. Negotiate with difficult colleagues.
   Participants discover how to structure a calm negotiating conversation to tackle “difficult colleagues” who they do not naturally “get on with”.

8. Manage difficult or challenging relationships.
   Participants discover how to confidently confront difficult people (and their attitudes) and agree a new way of working in the future which is free from the poor behaviours and attitudes of the past, and helps repair difficult or dysfunctional working relationships.

Participant outcomes:

• Effectively prepare for and confidently handle difficult conversations
• Use supportive sentences and avoid the use of emotional language when having difficult conversations
• Maintain a clear focus and objectivity when confronted with adversity
• Handle difficult conversations confidently, positively and professionally
• Focus on the conversation and make sure I deliver the key points clearly
• Broker clear and mutually agreed next steps
• Plan strategies to manage negative responses or opposition

Delivery Methods:

1. Learning workshop
2. Behaviour change workshop
3. Embedding products
4. Coaching
5. Testing