**Managing Difficult Conversations - Adelaide**

**Managing Difficult Conversations - Adelaide**

You know that sinking feeling when you realize you need to have "that conversation" with someone at work? Maybe it's telling an employee their performance isn't cutting it, addressing someone who keeps missing deadlines, or dealing with a colleague who's become increasingly hostile. We've all been there - staring at our calendar, dreading that meeting, wondering how it's going to go sideways.

Here's the thing: most of us never actually learned how to handle these conversations properly. We either avoid them completely (which makes everything worse), or we dive in unprepared and end up in a shouting match or awkward silence. I've seen managers put off crucial conversations for months, watching small issues turn into massive problems because they just didn't know how to tackle them.

The reality is that difficult conversations don't have to be disasters waiting to happen. With the right approach, you can actually turn these challenging moments into opportunities for real change and better relationships. It's not about being confrontational or overly nice - it's about being clear, respectful, and focused on solutions.

In this practical session, you'll learn how to prepare for tough conversations so you're not going in blind. We'll cover how to stay calm when emotions run high (yours and theirs), how to listen in a way that actually defuses tension rather than escalating it, and how to guide the conversation toward productive outcomes instead of just venting frustrations.

You'll also discover why timing and setting matter more than you think, how to handle people who get defensive or shut down completely, and what to do when someone becomes aggressive or starts crying. We'll practice real scenarios - the kind of situations you'll actually face, not role-plays that feel nothing like your workplace.

**What You'll Learn:**

- How to plan and structure difficult conversations so they stay on track
- Techniques for staying composed when things get heated or emotional
- Ways to listen that help people feel heard without agreeing with everything they say
- How to deliver tough messages clearly without being brutal about it
- Strategies for dealing with common reactions like defensiveness, anger, or silence
- Methods for finding solutions together instead of just pointing out problems
- Follow-up approaches that ensure real change happens after the conversation

**The Bottom Line**

You'll walk away with a practical framework you can use immediately for any tough conversation at work. Whether you're a manager who needs to address performance issues, a team member dealing with conflict, or someone who just wants to stop avoiding important discussions, you'll have the tools to handle these situations with confidence. No more sleepless nights worrying about how that conversation will go - you'll know exactly how to approach it and what to say.

Available in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and online formats. Perfect for managers, team leaders, HR professionals, and anyone who deals with workplace communication challenges on a regular basis.