Managing Difficult Conversations - Perth

Managing Difficult Conversations - Perth

You know that sinking feeling when you see someone heading toward your desk with "that look" on their face? Or when you realize you've been putting off having a crucial conversation with a team member for weeks because you just don't know how to start? We've all been there - whether it's addressing poor performance, dealing with workplace conflict, or having to deliver disappointing news that nobody wants to hear.

The truth is, most of us never learned how to handle these conversations properly. We either avoid them completely (and watch problems get worse), go in guns blazing (and make everything worse), or stumble through them awkwardly hoping for the best. None of these approaches actually work, and they usually leave everyone feeling frustrated and unheard.

Here's what I've learned after years of helping people navigate these tricky waters: difficult conversations don't have to be disasters waiting to happen. When you know what you're doing, they can actually strengthen relationships and solve problems rather than create new ones. The key is having a proper framework and some practical techniques that actually work in real situations.

In this session, we'll walk through exactly how to prepare for conversations you've been dreading, how to start them without immediately putting people on the defensive, and how to keep things productive even when emotions start running high. You'll learn how to address the real issues without dancing around them, and more importantly, how to ensure people actually hear what you're saying instead of just planning their counterattack.

We'll cover real scenarios that happen in workplaces every day - like when someone consistently misses deadlines, when team members aren't getting along, or when you need to give feedback that someone really doesn't want to hear. No role-playing with perfect responses here - just practical strategies for managing difficult conversations that actually happen in your workplace.

What You'll Learn

How to mentally prepare yourself before difficult conversations so you're not walking in already stressed
A simple structure for starting conversations that reduces defensiveness from the get-go
Techniques for staying calm and focused when the other person gets emotional or confrontational
Ways to ensure your message actually gets heard instead of triggering immediate pushback
How to find common ground even when you're dealing with seemingly impossible people
Practical language that addresses issues directly without being unnecessarily harsh
Strategies for following up after difficult conversations to ensure real change happens

The Bottom Line

After this training, you'll stop losing sleep over conversations you need to have. You'll have a clear process for handling workplace tensions before they explode, and the confidence to address problems early rather than letting them fester. Most importantly, you'll find that these conversations become less "difficult" and more productive when you know what you're actually doing.