Managing Difficult Conversations

Managing Difficult Conversations

Location: Perth

You know that sinking feeling when you see that person's name pop up in your calendar? The one who always seems to turn every discussion into a debate, or who gets defensive the moment you raise a concern. Maybe it's the team member who takes feedback as a personal attack, or the colleague who simply won't acknowledge there's a problem. We've all been there, and honestly, most of us would rather walk over hot coals than have another one of those conversations.

Here's the thing though - avoiding these conversations doesn't make them go away. That project that's going off the rails? It gets worse. The team member who's not pulling their weight? They keep dragging everyone else down. The client who's never satisfied? They become even more demanding. I've seen too many good managers and team leaders tie themselves in knots trying to avoid the very conversations that could actually solve their problems.

This isn't about becoming some corporate communication robot who speaks in HR buzzwords. This is about real-world skills for real workplace situations. You'll learn how to have those tough conversations without everyone walking away feeling bruised. We'll cover everything from the colleague who interrupts everyone in meetings to dealing with someone who's genuinely struggling with their performance. You'll discover how to address issues before they become major problems, and most importantly, how to maintain working relationships even when you're discussing something uncomfortable.

The practical side of this matters more than anything else. You'll practice handling pushback without getting defensive yourself. You'll learn to recognize when someone's defensiveness is actually fear or confusion, not defiance. We'll work through real scenarios - like when someone's personal issues are affecting their work, when you need to deliver news that nobody wants to hear, or when you're caught between two team members who can't stand each other.

What You'll Learn

You'll walk away knowing exactly how to prepare for a difficult conversation so you don't end up winging it and making things worse. You'll understand how to frame issues in a way that focuses on solutions rather than blame. We'll show you effective communication techniques that actually work in real workplace situations, not just in theory.

You'll learn to spot the warning signs that a conversation is about to go sideways and how to get it back on track. We'll cover how to stay calm when someone's getting emotional, how to ask the right questions to understand what's really going on, and how to end these conversations on a constructive note. Plus, you'll discover how to follow up properly so the conversation actually leads to change.

Most importantly, you'll gain the confidence to address problems early instead of letting them fester. You'll know how to be firm without being harsh, and direct without being brutal. We'll also tackle the trickiest part - dealing with people who simply don't want to engage or who make everything about personalities rather than performance.

The Bottom Line

After this session, you won't dread these conversations anymore. You'll have a clear framework for approaching them, practical phrases that actually work, and the confidence to address issues head-on. Your team will respect you more for being straight with them, problems will get solved faster, and you'll spend a lot less time worrying about conversations you need to have. Most participants tell us they wish they'd learned these skills for managing workplace conflicts years ago - it would have saved them countless sleepless nights and a lot of workplace drama.