Managing Difficult Conversations

Managing Difficult Conversations

Location: Brisbane

We've all been there - sitting in your car after work, replaying that awkward conversation with your colleague, wishing you'd handled it differently. Or maybe you're the manager who keeps putting off that performance discussion because you're dreading the uncomfortable silence that'll follow. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Most of us would rather reorganise our sock drawer than have a difficult conversation at work.

Here's the thing though - avoiding these conversations doesn't make them go away. They just get bigger, messier, and harder to deal with. That team member who keeps missing deadlines? The colleague who takes credit for your ideas? The customer who's never satisfied? These situations don't resolve themselves, and they're costing you more than just a few sleepless nights.

In this course, we'll tackle the real stuff that happens in actual workplaces. Not the textbook scenarios where everyone speaks in perfect corporate language, but the messy, emotional, human conversations that make your stomach churn. You'll learn how to approach someone who's been undermining your authority without sounding like you're reading from a script. We'll cover how to deliver feedback that actually gets heard instead of triggering defensive walls. And yes, we'll even talk about how to handle that person who seems to thrive on drama and conflict.

The practical side of this training focuses on what actually works when emotions are running high and egos are bruised. You'll discover how to prepare for conversations you're dreading, how to stay calm when someone's pushing all your buttons, and how to find solutions that don't leave everyone feeling like they've been through a blender. We'll also look at timing - because having the right conversation at the wrong moment is often worse than not having it at all.

What You'll Learn

You'll walk away knowing how to identify when a conversation is heading south and how to redirect it before it becomes a workplace disaster. We'll teach you practical phrases that actually work in real situations - not the corporate speak that makes everyone's eyes glaze over. You'll learn how to listen in a way that makes people feel heard, even when you disagree with them completely. We'll cover body language, tone, and all those subtle things that can make or break a difficult discussion.

You'll also master the art of staying professional when someone's being unreasonable, how to set boundaries without burning bridges, and how to follow up after a tough conversation to make sure things actually improve. Plus, we'll tackle the hardest part - managing your own emotions and reactions when someone's testing your patience.

Understanding effective conversation techniques is crucial, but so is knowing how to apply them when the pressure's on. We'll practice with real scenarios that you'll recognise from your own workplace, and you'll leave with a toolkit of strategies that actually work when people are being, well, difficult.

The Bottom Line

This isn't about becoming a people-pleaser or avoiding conflict altogether. It's about having the confidence to address problems head-on without making them worse. You'll save yourself hours of stress, improve your relationships at work, and probably sleep better knowing you can handle whatever conversational curveball gets thrown your way. Plus, your team will actually respect you more when they see you can tackle the tough stuff with grace and professionalism.

Most importantly, you'll stop dreading these conversations and start seeing them as opportunities to solve problems and build better working relationships. Because let's face it - managing workplace challenges is part of everyone's job description, whether we like it or not.