Difficult conversations

The conversations being avoided are costing you real money:

Underperforming managers cost you 1 - 3 times their salary in lost productivity and eventual replacements:

Unresolved conflict between leaders splits teams, slows decisions, and drives staff attrition
When no-one challenges project briefs early enough, projects stall or drift from scope
When senior leaders can't have honest conversations, you get a strategy that looks good on paper, but never quite lands
When leaders work around problems instead of through them, poor behaviour becomes the accepted standard.

Avoiding difficult conversations is a natural and physiological human response. By understanding why our brains reacts this way, and with the right tools, we can re-train them to work for us.

Most leaders were never trained to have difficult conversations, but mastering difficult conversations is the superpower that separates good leaders from great - it’s the cheat code that unlocks so much more, e.g.:

Robust strategy built on healthy debate
Clear performance expectations
Trust and belief in leadership
Confident and efficient execution
People development and retention.

Built on a proven methodology, fine-tuned for the kiwi context

Grounded in the principles contained in the New York Times bestseller Crucial Conversations (Patterson, Greeny, McMillan, Switzler), with ‘Kiwification’ informed by 30+ years of working in and with hundreds of businesses of all sizes and stages, this one day session will give your team the tools to confidently navigate difficult conversations.

Our approach

pre-workshop interviews

We'll sit down with each participant individually to discuss their personal challenges and identify some real-life examples to work through on the day. This means that we can focus on practical use cases rather than abstract theory, and you can immediately apply what you've learned in the real world.

workshop

This full day starts by helping you understand what your brain and physiology are doing to undermine you as you enter, or avoid, difficult conversations. We explain just enough of the science, work through examples (good and bad), and teach you how to re-train your brain to work for you instead of against you.

What we will build, together

A common language and consistent leadership approach to managing difficult conversations, both within your leadership team and the teams they lead.

By the end of the day you will have:

An understanding of what is happening in our brains, and the physiological responses that triggers, as we enter high stakes conversations
The ability to understand and manage emotions by focusing on facts, reframing your stories, and keeping your sights on the desired outcome
A set of practical tools that will help you prepare for, and navigate, difficult conversations. Over time, these practical tools will empower your leaders to willingly and confidently front even the gnarliest of conversations.

How your organisation will be different

You'll be well on the path to creating a culture in which difficult conversations that resolve issues AND strengthen relationships are the norm - driven by leaders who, having mastered difficult conversations, will:

Quickly resolve performance issues
Rebuild trust after conflict
Turn strategy into execution
Retain and develop the best talent
Create clarity and harmony for your people.

Curious?

If you'd like to discuss how mastery of Difficult Conversations could benefit you or your team, either complete and submit the contact form, or simply schedule a call for a time that suits you.

Schedule an introductory call