Critical & Difficult Conversations for Managers

Critical Discussions prepares managers and supervisors to have “Crucial Conversations and Confrontations” with under performing staff. It is based on five best selling books. Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott; Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, et al; And three books: Crucial Conversations, Crucial Confrontations and Influence by Kerry Patterson, et al.

In this workshop, participants will learn a three part process allows them to handle their own emotions, plan how to approach a critical discussion with a staff member and then carryout the ‘crucial conversation’ geared towards addressing problem behaviors and/or performance and productivity issues.

By the end of the workshop, participants will learn:

  • How their own emotions prevent them from being effective;
  • How to manage their own emotions;
  • How to identify, crystallize and formulate the key employee problems that they wish to address;
  • How to uncover the six sources of influence that will help them to motivate staff to take solution focused actions that will help staff to change their behaviors;
  • How to confront employees safely;
  • How to move employees to action that will increase performance and productivity.

An important facet of this workshop is that participants read a summary of “Crucial Confrontations” by Kerry Patterson, et al. before the workshop. This will be provided to them by the Training Consultant. Another pre-requisite is that participants prepare a bulleted reflection on their perspective of the key points of raised in the book summary.

The workshop is highly intensive, inter-actional and involves discussions, case studies, group activities and ends with a behavioral rehearsal activity by participants.