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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK

How to navigate difficult conversations at work - and have better ones

Young businesswoman working from home having a serious discussion over the telephone.
Young businesswoman working from home having a serious discussion over the telephone. Photograph: Stefan Dahl Langstrup/Alamy

Whether it’s asking for a payrise, giving a team member feedback they might not want to hear, turning down a job offer, speaking to a manager about their lack of boundaries, or simply saying something you’d rather not, it’s in our nature to avoid those conversations that we know won’t be easy.

There is biological science behind this: our brains are wired to constantly scan for threats, and this means that they often communicate the worst to us. When it comes to tough conversations, this will mean putting it off, procrastinating and delaying - or even avoiding it permanently, at the expense of our own long-term fulfilment or happiness.

There is a way to break this cycle. As you will discover in this interactive masterclass with coaches Lisa Quinn and Nicky Chambers, the process begins with listening to what’s actually going on, and recognising the truth of your thoughts and beliefs - rather than letting them unconsciously dictate your behaviour.

Difficult conversations are difficult for a reason. We care about the outcome, and this means that if we avoid them, we’re suppressing emotions that will leak out elsewhere. In this class, you will learn how to identify how you choose to behave in different situations, and then utilise a clear and evidence-based framework to help you stop avoiding and start doing.

This course is for …

  • Anyone who struggles with having difficult conversations, from experienced leaders to those just starting out in their career

Course content

  • Understanding what makes a conversation difficult

  • How to listen to, and hear, what is actually going on

  • Recognising the truth of our thoughts, beliefs and feelings

  • Examining your ‘story’ around difficult conversations

  • How to prepare for the worst outcome

  • Exploring how we’re choosing to behave

  • How to develop a proactive approach

Tutor profile

Lisa Quinn
Lisa Quinn Photograph: Lisa Quinn
Nicky Chambers
Nicky Chambers Photograph: Nicky Chambers

Lisa Quinn and Nicky Chambers met while they were training in 2017. Both are Certified Co-Active Coaches and Professional Certified Coaches, accredited with the International Coaching Federation. Lisa is also a mindfulness teacher, a certified Strengthscope coach, an in-house coach for Fleishman Hillard, and a coach for the Allbright Elevator programme. Prior to training as a coach, she had a 22-year career in PR and Communications. Nicky is also a solutions focused practitioner, a certified Relational Dynamics coach, an ICF-accredited mentor coach, a mentor coach for Henley Business School, and has been coaching extensively since 2013. Prior to training as a coach, she was an experienced leader in the cultural and creative industries, having established and run numerous successful enterprises, and advised on a variety of government and private initiatives. She is on the advisory boards for several organisations and is trained in the neuroscience of change. Lisa and Nicky are both trained team coaches, accredited Spotlight practitioners and Firework Career Coaches, and run successful private practices. They also coach pro bono for various charitable organisations.

Details

Date: Wednesday 28 September 2022
Time: 3pm–5.30pm (BST)
Price: £129 (plus £6.48 booking fee)

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

3pm BST | 4pm CEST | 7am PDT | 10am EDT

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 2 hours before the start time of 3pm (BST)

Information on Guardian Masterclasses

To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.

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By enrolling on this masterclass, you’re helping to support the Guardian, and this allows us to keep our quality reporting open to all.

All Guardian Masterclasses are fully accessible - but please contact us if you have any queries or concerns.

Returns policy

Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.

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