Purpose

The purpose of the workshop is to give delegates an opportunity to explore the communications they find challenging and to give them the insight and skills to have courageous conversations with confidence and effectiveness.

Common situations which test our ability in communication are – performance management (particularly when performance is poor); pushing back requests, including from more senior staff; working for a win-win outcome; dealing with resistance or obstruction; influencing and persuading.

  

Objectives

At the end of this workshop, delegates should:

• Understand and appreciate the challenges to Courageous Conversations
• Have greater self awareness of triggers and inner dialogue
• Have a wider repertoire of tools and techniques to enable Courageous Conversations
• Return to the workplace with more skill and confidence.

  

Course Format

The session will be very interactive, with the emphasis on practising principles throughout the day.

Sessions other than those introducing principles can be tailored to the specific needs of an organisation or group of individuals, e.g. reducing negative attitudes, avoiding inflammatory language, keeping to your commitments, creating an open and honest culture etc.

  

Course content

What are the issues?

• Situations where communication becomes difficult

Understanding Courageous Conversations

• Principles of good communication
• Differences between confident, aggressive and passive communication

The influence of triggers and inner dialogue

• Explore and recognise triggers
• Faulty and sound inner dialogues

Non-verbal communication

• Voice, Posture, Breathing, “Leaking” body

Getting your message across

• Practise having a difficult conversation using a practical model
• Saying “No”
• Giving and receiving criticisism

Relaxation, stress and emotion

Being heard in meetings/team situations

• Capture and keep attention
• State your views confidently
• Disagree constructively etc

Incorporate techniques learned during the day

• Recap, evaluations and feedback
• Individual action planning
• Set goals for transferring learning to workplace