Managing Difficult Conversations Training - Brisbane

Managing Difficult Conversations Training - Brisbane

You know that feeling when you need to have "that conversation" with someone at work? Your stomach knots up, you put it off for days (or weeks), and when you finally do it, it either goes nowhere or makes things worse. Whether it's addressing poor performance, dealing with a colleague who's not pulling their weight, or having to deliver bad news to your team, difficult conversations are part of working life - but nobody teaches you how to do them well.

The truth is, most of us handle these situations badly because we're either too aggressive (and damage relationships) or too passive (and nothing changes). We end up dancing around the real issues, using corporate speak that confuses everyone, or avoiding the conversation altogether until things explode. Sound familiar?

This training is about learning how to have those tough conversations in a way that actually works. You'll discover how to address problems directly without being a jerk about it, how to stay calm when emotions run high, and how to turn potentially explosive situations into productive discussions. We're talking about real workplace scenarios here - not role-playing perfect conversations that never happen in real life.

The managing difficult conversations approach we teach focuses on getting results while keeping relationships intact. You'll learn how to prepare for these conversations so you're not winging it, how to deliver your message clearly without sugarcoating it to death, and how to handle the inevitable pushback or emotional reactions that come up.

One of the biggest game-changers is learning how to separate the person from the problem. Instead of saying "You're always late," you'll know how to say "When meetings start without you, it impacts the whole team's productivity." It's the difference between attacking someone's character and addressing specific behaviours that need to change.

You'll also pick up techniques for keeping conversations on track when they start going sideways. We've all been in those discussions that somehow end up being about something completely different from what you wanted to talk about. You'll learn how to redirect without being controlling and how to manage your own emotions when the other person gets defensive or upset.

What You'll Learn:
- How to plan and structure difficult conversations so they're productive, not destructive
- Techniques for staying calm and focused when emotions start running high
- Ways to deliver difficult messages that people can actually hear and act on
- How to handle common reactions like defensiveness, anger, or complete shutdown
- Methods for following up to ensure real change happens, not just empty promises
- How to rebuild trust and maintain working relationships after tough conversations

We'll work through real scenarios you're likely to face - dealing with workplace conflict, addressing performance issues, having budget conversations, or discussing workload problems. No theoretical fluff here, just practical tools you can use immediately.

The Bottom Line:
By the end of this training, you'll have the confidence to tackle those conversations you've been avoiding. You'll know how to address problems before they become bigger problems, and you'll do it in a way that preserves relationships and gets results. Most importantly, you'll stop dreading these conversations and start seeing them as opportunities to clear the air and move forward. Because when you can handle difficult conversations well, you can handle just about anything at work.