Navigating Difficult Conversations

Sooner or later, each of us needs to have a conversation with someone or we end up in a conversation that is challenging for us and the other party. This difficult conversation might involve saying “no” to your boss, giving constructive feedback to a co-worker, dealing with an upset customer, responding to an insensitive bully, or conducting or receiving a performance review. Too often these challenging interactions are defined by stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and even fear. It doesn’t have to be this way. During this seminar, you will learn a set of powerful models, tools, and techniques for approaching difficult conversations with confidence and composure. When emotions run high and there is a lot on the line, you want to be able guide these difficult conversations toward productive ends. Navigating these conversations may never be easy, but we can make them more effective – once we understand why they sometimes go off the rails and learn what we can do to lay the groundwork for a successful outcome.

Attend this seminar to learn powerful strategies for turning these difficult conversations into satisfying ones.

As a result of attending this seminar, you will be able to:

• Describe the characteristics of a difficult conversation.
• Discuss why we engage in self-defeating, self-destructive behaviors during difficult conversations.
• Describe the two mindsets that drive our beliefs, thinking and behaviors: The My-Way and Collaborative Mindsets.
• Apply the Governing Values and Enacting Behaviors of the Collaborative Mindset to your own conversations (difficult or otherwise).
• Demonstrate an integrative model for conducting difficult conversations – those that we can plan for and those that arise spontaneously.
• Identify strategies for better managing your emotions during these difficult conversations.
• Demonstrate ways to reduce anxiety and fear and create greater safety for yourself and others in the midst of a difficult conversation.
• Implement a personal plan for strengthening your ability to navigate current and future difficult conversations.