Preparing for Difficult Conversations

Preparation is Key

We prepare for travel, for meals, for driving, for guests. But when it comes to difficult conversations, we fret.

How effectively do you prepare for difficult conversations you need to have?

By definition, difficult conversations aren’t easy. We tend to dread them—to feel the weight of them in advance, even obsess over them. There’s no guarantee that preparing well will remove all the anxious feelings often associated with difficult conversations. However, preparing well in key areas can make all the difference to the actual experience you’ll have in your next difficult conversation.

This workshop is NOT focused on how to actually have the conversation. That workshop will come later. We’ve found that it’s the concepts we’ll cover in this workshop that actually make the most difference in the success of that eventual conversation.

THIS TRAINING IS FOR YOU IF YOU WANT TO:

  • Grow in your ability to engage in difficult conversations

  • Be prepared to navigate difficult conversations more skillfully

  • Communicate in a manner that’s safe for others as well as yourself

  • Care about others without losing your own voice

  • Gain confidence when the stakes are high

We’ll use small group discussions, some presentation of material, practice with other participants, and individual reflection to help you prepare for any difficult conversations.

Dates & Times:

Dates will be announced at a future time.

This workshop is scheduled over 3.5 hours (including a break)

*Please check the time in your location by clicking on the time above. You can also add the event to your calendar by clicking the link below the event time box.

If this date is inconvenient for you, please consider signing up below for email notifications when we announce our next Preparing for Difficult Conversations training!

Scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up for the current dates.

YOU WILL LEAVE WITH:

  1. A list of ways to prepare yourself for a difficult conversation.

  2. The ability to name the three aspects of any difficult conversation.

  3. Your own written thoughts about your side of those three aspects.

  4. Practice shifting your attitude in preparation.

  5. A written objective for your difficult conversation.

Facilitators

  • With 25 years of cross-cultural living and work experience, I’ve had plenty of experience with difficult conversations! Knowing that conflict and the inability to navigate difficult conversations well has been the downfall of so many dreams and caused so much hardship motivates me to continue personally learning and growing in this area and supporting others in their journey toward more healthy communication. I have a Masters in Organizational Psychology with specializations in Organizational Leader Development and Leadership Coaching Psychology. I’m a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation and an Endorsed Facilitator with the International Association of Facilitators. I feel like I've spent my whole career working on figuring out how to handle difficult conversations better—having had so many opportunities to practice!

  • During the past 4 years of living and working on teams in North Africa, I’ve dedicated much time and effort to learning to prepare better for difficult conversations. I’ve learned from both conversations that have gone poorly and conversations that have gone better than I could have hoped for. Having seen both the damage of poorly- handled, difficult conversations and the healing that can accompany well-managed, difficult conversations, I’m always excited to discover, together, more about how we can all prepare better for those conversations that really matter. I’ve also recently completed my Masters in Organizational Leadership with a specialization in Organizational Learning and Performance, a program which included significant coursework in conflict resolution.

  • I have lived overseas and worked with expats for the past 25 years with my wife, along with our three daughters. I am passionate about coaching, as it provides a powerful framework of coming alongside, listening, and ennobling people as they move forward. During my time overseas, I have wrestled with difficult conversations and wished this training was available years ago. I enjoy partnering in the growth and development of leaders, those in transition, and other fellow life-long learners. I have a Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Adult Learning and am recognized by the International Coach Federation as a Master Certified Coach.

Costs and Payment

Early registration: $75

Complete the registration form by September 1 and make full payment in one week.

Standard registration: $100

Special Notes:

You will be invoiced after we reach our minimum number of participants (8) or within 3 business days if the minimum has already been reached.

The price includes a $20 non-refundable deposit. This deposit will be in effect if you cancel your registration. There is no refund for cancellations within two weeks of the event.

We’ll meet online using Zoom (registrants will receive instructions).

PREREQUISITE:

Before joining this training, please ensure that you have done training in "Other-Centered Listening." Many of See Beyond's training workshops include this training. If you haven't trained in “Other-Centered Listening” yet, grab a friend and do the free, 12-minute video training HERE. You need to have practiced, so grabbing a friend is actually important!

What Participants Are Saying

  • This workshop is one of the most valuable uses of three hours I can think of to empower me for success in my work relationships and responsibilities. Huge benefit!

    ONLINE PARTICIPANT

  • The facilitators are extremely well-informed, experienced, and highly skilled. Yet they come across as so relatable, down-to-earth, and accessible.

    ONLINE PARTICIPANT

  • Thank you for the tools provided. My next difficult conversation might not be so difficult after all!

    ONLINE PARTICIPANT

  • I’m so glad this workshop was available to me. I feel empowered to have that difficult conversation now where, before the workshop, I was avoiding it.

    ONLINE PARTICIPANT

Registration form

Each individual needs to complete a registration form.