Dread-Free Difficult Conversations: Speak Up with Courage

You know the feeling: you have something difficult you want to say to a colleague or friend. But you’re worried about how they’ll react, figure, “Why rock the boat?,” and talk yourself out of it. You attempt to ignore it, but of course, nothing changes, and you find yourself dwelling on what it is you want to tell them. You want to keep the peace and avoid a conflict, so again, you stay quiet. You try to let it go to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, but that discomfort just stays with you.

My aim in creating this course was to teach you to be able to speak up when it really matters no matter how uncomfortable that idea seems to you now. The benefits of being able to do this far outweigh the discomfort, I promise. You may have trouble speaking up when you disagree, struggle to give difficult feedback to a report, need to shape the way your manager manages you, or figure out how to say “no” to what a stakeholder wants you to do.

Most people shy away from these types of tough conversations, because they don’t have the skills to approach them in a way that makes them feel safe. They may downplay the impact not having the conversation is having on their self-esteem but also the sheer amount of time they spend thinking about the unresolved issue.

I’ve been teaching and coaching people on this subject for over two decades and have worked with my clients on it across industries, jobs levels and cultures. I’d like to give you all of my own hard-earned tools to help you tackle your difficult conversations and develop the muscle that will only grow stronger with practice.

In this course, you will:

• Learn why having difficult conversations is so important

• Tame your anxious thinking around speaking up

• Speak assertively (not passively or aggressively) to get the best outcome from your conversation

• Prepare your message by understanding the other person’s point of view and finding common ground

• Tackle those tough conversations, whether with a peer, manager, direct report, or friend

• Deal with manipulation when passive-aggression is at play

The course is full of practical tips, examples and exercises you can build on one step at a time along with invitations to put what you’re learning into practice, immediately.

There are no prerequisites to taking this course. If the title pulled you in, then this course is for you. Please join me in this course!