handling difficult conversations

A full-day workshop for people who sometimes hold difficult conversations with members of the public, building the composure and judgement to steer them towards a resolution the person is satisfied with.

Practising real conversations to build confidence, consistent with your organisation's tone and standards.

    • Recognise when an everyday interaction has become a difficult conversation, and understand the fears and triggers that make it feel harder

    • Stay calm and hold a conversation with clarity and respect, so the person feels heard

    • Manage your own reactions under pressure, keeping focus on reaching a resolution

    • Use empathy to stay connected to the other person's experience while working towards a solution

    • Navigate a difficult conversation toward a fair, clear resolution - a complaint, distress, disagreement or a sensitive situation

    • Close a conversation in a way that leaves the person clear on what happens next and satisfied it was handled well

    • Hold boundaries and prevent escalation, consistent with the organisation's tone and standards

  • 09:30 – 10:00
    Welcome and framing the day
    Why confidence matters more than technique, and how a well-handled conversation drives resolution and satisfaction

    10:00 – 11:00
    Why these conversations feel hard
    Exploring the fears, beliefs and assumptions that make an unexpected difficult conversation feel harder than it needs to be, and recognising personal triggers

    11:00 – 11:15
    Break

    11:15 – 12:00
    Emotional intelligence and staying composed
    Reading your own reactions and staying calm under pressure, so you can keep steering the conversation towards a resolution

    12:00 – 13:00
    Communication habits that build trust and resolution
    Listening without trying to fix or defend, and using empathy to keep the person engaged and moving towards a solution

    13:00 – 13:45
    Lunch

    13:45 – 14:30
    Recognising and responding in the moment
    Clarifying the outcome you're both working towards and the boundary you're holding, once a conversation turns difficult, across real scenario types: a complaint, distress, disagreement or a sensitive situation

    14:30 – 15:30
    Practising real conversations
    Paired or trio rehearsal using your own examples, with coaching and feedback on steering a conversation to a clear, satisfying resolution

    15:30 – 15:45
    Break

    15:45 – 16:15
    Handling reactions and awkward behaviours
    Responding to defensiveness or upset while holding a boundary, and resetting towards resolution without losing direction or respect

    16:15 – 16:30
    Commitments and confident habits
    Agreeing what you will do differently from tomorrow, and how it connects to the shared standards set at pathway kickoff.

back to the customer experience pathway