Navigating Difficult Conversations
5 Based on 213 reviews- 128,230 Learners
- 287 Courses
Difficult conversations are part of every job — whether it’s giving feedback, setting boundaries, navigating personality differences, or addressing tension before it escalates. This interactive course helps participants build confidence and communication tools to navigate challenging workplace conversations with less stress and stronger outcomes.
Request More InfoUpcoming Class Schedule
$795.00
Oct 01 - Oct 01, 2026
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM America/Chicago- VILT
- Dec 03 - Dec 03, 2026
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM America/Chicago
- VILT
Through relatable examples, actionable tools, self-reflection, and real-world practice, participants learn practical, immediately applicable techniques to stay grounded under pressure, communicate clearly, manage emotions effectively, and turn uncomfortable conversations into productive ones. Designed for both emerging professionals and experienced leaders, this course focuses on authentic communication that works in today’s fast-moving, hybrid, and highly collaborative work environments.
This course has been approved for 7 PDUs | 7 CDUs
- Recognize common causes of difficult workplace conversations and challenging interactions.
- Identify personal communication habits, triggers, and conversational tendencies under pressure.
- Use practical communication techniques to navigate tense or sensitive discussions professionally and effectively.
- Practice strategies for feedback, accountability, boundary-setting, and other common difficult workplace conversations.
- Apply a practical conversation approach to navigate challenging discussions with greater clarity, adaptability, and effectiveness.
Who should attend Navigating Difficult Conversations Course
Navigating Difficult Conversations Course Outline
- Common causes of challenging workplace conversations
- Why people avoid difficult conversations
- The costs of avoiding difficult conversations
- Personal communication habits and conversational tendencies
- Managing reactions under pressure
- Emotional intelligence and perspective-taking
- Preparing with greater awareness
- Communicating with clarity and curiosity
- Building shared understanding
- Feedback conversations
- Accountability, boundaries, managing up, workplace friction, and delivering bad news
- Adapting the approach to different workplace situations
- Helping others feel heard through listening and questions
- Communicating in ways that reduce defensiveness
- Creating a personal conversation plan for future difficult conversations
Resources
FAQs on Navigating Difficult Conversations
This course is designed for anyone who encounters conflict and difficult conversations in their personal or professional life, making it broadly applicable across roles and industries.
The MAI2 Framework is a structured approach for engaging in difficult conversations, designed to produce better outcomes for all parties involved. The course covers its components, benefits, and provides practice opportunities to apply it as a conflict management technique.
Yes, participants must complete an online personal conflict management style assessment prior to class. A link will be provided in advance, and the results are reviewed during the session.
You will take an assessment to identify your personal tendencies when managing conflict, review your individual results in class, and learn how to expand your approach among the 5 recognized conflict management styles.
The course covers the definition and types of conflict, how personal filters contribute to difficult conversations, distinguishing what can and cannot be controlled, conflict management styles, and applying the MAI2 Framework through practical exercises.