Classes Leadership & Professional Development
Navigating Difficult Conversations
- 1 days
- 2 upcoming dates
- 1 guaranteed to run
- May qualify for CEU/PDU credit
Upcoming dates
All times shown in the class's own timezone. 1 of 2 are guaranteed to run, meaning they go ahead regardless of enrollment.
| Dates | Starts | Where | Status | Seat | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 1 | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM CDT | Live virtual | SCHEDULED | $795 | |
| Thu, Dec 3 | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM CST | Live virtual | GUARANTEED | $795 |
About this class
Difficult conversations are part of every job, whether it’s giving feedback, setting boundaries, navigating personality differences, or addressing tension before it escalates. This interactive course helps participants build confidence and communication tools to navigate challenging workplace conversations with less stress and stronger outcomes.
Through relatable examples, actionable tools, self-reflection, and real-world practice, participants learn practical, immediately applicable techniques to stay grounded under pressure, communicate clearly, manage emotions effectively, and turn uncomfortable conversations into productive ones. Designed for both emerging professionals and experienced leaders, this course focuses on authentic communication that works in today’s fast-moving, hybrid, and highly collaborative work environments.
This course has been approved for 7 PDUs | 7 CDUs
What you'll be able to do
- Recognize common causes of difficult workplace conversations and challenging interactions.
- Identify personal communication habits, triggers, and conversational tendencies under pressure.
- Use practical communication techniques to navigate tense or sensitive discussions professionally and effectively.
- Practice strategies for feedback, accountability, boundary-setting, and other common difficult workplace conversations.
- Apply a practical conversation approach to navigate challenging discussions with greater clarity, adaptability, and effectiveness.
Course outline
Why Difficult Conversations Feel Difficult
- Common causes of challenging workplace conversations
- Why people avoid difficult conversations
- The costs of avoiding difficult conversations
Mindset, Reactions, and Emotional Triggers
- Personal communication habits and conversational tendencies
- Managing reactions under pressure
- Emotional intelligence and perspective-taking
A Practical Approach for Navigating Difficult Conversations
- Preparing with greater awareness
- Communicating with clarity and curiosity
- Building shared understanding
Using an Approach to Common Workplace Conversations
- Feedback conversations
- Accountability, boundaries, managing up, workplace friction, and delivering bad news
- Adapting the approach to different workplace situations
Communication Techniques and Moving Forward
- Helping others feel heard through listening and questions
- Communicating in ways that reduce defensiveness
- Creating a personal conversation plan for future difficult conversations
Who this is for
Anyone who is ever faced with conflict and related difficult conversations.
How reserving works. Your card is authorized, not charged. We confirm the seat with the training center, usually within one business day, and take payment only once it is held. If the class turns out to be full we release the authorization and you are not charged.
Request a quote
Tell us how many people and roughly when. We'll come back with dates, seat price, and a total by the end of the next business day.